This week we had the pleasure of attending LASER presentation at CNSI to hear experimental physicist Walter Gekelman speak, as well as an exhibit displaying student works inspired by his research. As Dr. Vesna had praised him throughout our previous lectures, I came in knowing that his work is mainly carried out through creating and manipulating plasma. 

Sitting in on last week’s class presentations was truly a remarkable experience. I did not expect to see that many innovative proposals that could one day be brought into fruition for the betterment of mankind. Moreover, it was great seeing the source of inspiration for each project, with most stemming from personal experiences and passions. 

Since the beginning of time, food has been considered one of the most valued elements by mankind. Along with water and oxygen, it is considered one of the bare necessities of life. While enjoyment and satisfaction are the first thoughts that comes minds when most  people see a plate of food, this is fortunate feeling is often not the case for those who are constantly watching what they eat. And no, I am not referring to those who want to lose a couple of pounds for a slimmer and more attractive figure.

This week, we had the pleasure of attending two very different BioArt exhibits, each inspiring and thought provoking in its own way. The first presentation was made by artist Toni Dove, well known for her work with interactive media. Speaking honestly, I was somewhat confused when I first entered the room and saw a recorded video playing on the screen. The first words I said to myself were, “how can I appreciate this piece of art?” Unfortunately, Dove’s demonstration only perpetuated my unsettling feelings.

Let me begin by saying that I did not expect such an interesting bond between food and the Chinese zodiac signs. My initial curiosity for this unexpected relationship stemmed from the Chinese classic novel I Ching, which discusses the human body’s internal change in response to its environment. In particular, we mentioned the connection made between the sixty-four DNA codons and sixty-four Chinese character codes, or hexagrams. Interestingly, one version of manipulating our bodies’ external environments involves eating.

This week we all had the pleasure of hearing Mick Lorusso speak about his own experiences within the world of biotechnology and art. Having reflected on my own experiences with BioArt last week, I entered the classroom eager to learn more about the motivation behind each piece as well as the greater purpose intended by its artist. I left the classroom with a greater understanding of the aforementioned aspects of biotechnology and art, along with the inspiration to one day create my own piece of BioArt.

The majority of the classes I have enrolled in to date have been fairly predictable. That is to say that I typically have a good sense of what the class has in store for me just by glancing at the title. Needless to say that this was not the case for this course. My preconceived notions had me thinking that biotechnology and art were two completely separate subjects and therefore could not effectively be meshed together.  If such an action were possible, however, I wondered what its significance would be.