https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eBiQ25a6CVI8y4I1WUi1PLCJfVhK1B3IGAeaN96hHlI/edit?usp=sharing

One-Page Summary

This week in class we got to see some really exciting and diverse forms of art in the Town Hall exhibit as well as a very interesting piece from Dr. Vesna’s previous students. 

   Like many people, I have criticized my body and the way I look. As humans, we often look in the mirror and judge ourselves for our exterior representations. Many also fear the visual effects of their aging bodies and are very attached to what happens to their bodies after they pass. Really thinking about what my body is and where it came from though, I feel more comfort and peace about these concerns.

    This week, we were joined by Christina Albu. What stood out to me most from her presentation was when she discussed the idea of interpersonal connection through aligning vibrational energy and brain waves.

I decided to make my proposed exhibition an interactive exhibit which is basically a mycelium jungle gym. In this exhibit, humans will “shrink down” to the size of a mushroom and be able to play in the world of fungal threads and mushrooms. The exhibit will play noises and whimsical music made from the sounds of mycelium. The scene will be mostly brown and beige with very natural coloring to the environment of being underground  or in the dirt.

In my neuroscience class we saw some images of fluorescent proteins that had been transferred into human neurons through genetically engineering which I thought looked like a beautiful art piece. I looked it up to find an image for you all and found something even cooler! Beyond using just green fluorescent protein (GFP) which is the original one that had been used, they also did new colors and targeted each of the colors to different regions. What they made was a "Brainbow"! How beautiful is that!? The brain is art. 

Week 4 Blog: Remember, We ARE Nature

In class, one thing that really stuck out to me was how much of our oxygen comes from plankton. I knew organisms besides trees (such as algae) produce a significant amount of oxygen, but I did not know how plankton was responsible for so much of it. I was researching and this discovery was made within the past decade.

It really resonated with me when professor Vensa spoke about her experience being in the salt exhibition of one of her students and how it alleviated one of her headaches. As someone with chronic migraines, I have had a similar experience. Just eating a hint of a salty food can often help to alleviate symptoms for me. Recently, in my behavioral neuroscience course, we talked about how our brain is actually in an environment that mimics the atmosphere of the ocean.

Hi, everyone! I’m Brianna, but I go by Bree! I’m a third year psychobiology major and pre-med. I love animals and put photos (if I was able to upload it correctly) of my dogs, Linguini and Benji, and my cat, Tuna. Aside from school, I work at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center as a Care Extender, currently in the Emergency Department. I also really love art, so I’m really excited about the topics of this course.