Peace Rockets, Sonocytology, and Soundscapes

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Photo Credit: David Roy - Taken from Roy's presentation 

This week, we had the honor of listening to multidisciplinary artist David Roy describe the significance behind his ongoing project BLACKNASA and explore the delicate interface between art and science. From the age of seven, Roy was captivated by the spectacular world of rocketry, when he began building model rockets with his father. However, unlike many kids his age, Roy explains that he was not fascinated by rockets’ destructive capacity. Rather, he was allured by the fun of rocket-making itself and the plethora of fantastical possibilities that it brought to life. In the summer of 2019, Roy embarked on a cross-country motorcycle trip which greatly impacted his perspective of America, with all its grave imperfections and unexpected pockets of love and hope for the future. As he traversed through curvy roads and open plains, Roy was thrust in a unique and intimate relationship with the elements. And the human connections he made along the way further inspired his artistic endeavors. According to Roy, BLACKNASA hinges upon the Seven Noble Ideals of Space Explorations: Creativity, Challenge, Courage, Ingenuity, Perseverance, Unity, and Discovery (David Roy). The rockets he builds ((which are insanely impressive and inspiring)) are flown as a symbol of peace and unity on Earth; A vessel for hope in a world so entrenched with injustice. I was personally very inspired by David Roy’s talk and look forward to following his work! His fluid, boundary-less way of life is something that I hope to grow into. 

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Source: Eunice Choi - "The Dog and the Socks" Installation

    After David’s presentation, I wandered over to Eunice Choi’s art installation titled, “The Dog and the Socks.” As a dog LOVER, I was immediately drawn to the adorable paper mache sculptures that captured the silly nature of the dog and their deep sense of curiosity towards the littlest things (like socks!). Choi draws parallels between dogs’ preoccupation with socks and her own relationship with her thoughts (dma.ucla.edu). As a chronic overthinker, I resonated with the blue dog who seemed entranced by the circling socks up above. I often catch myself falling into thought spirals, for better or for worse.

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Source: "Soundscape Ecology"
 
In addition to our adventures at the Broad Art Center, this week’s material tapped into the field of soundscape ecology and sonocytology. Bernie Kraus’ TED Talk describes how the sounds of every species in an ecosystem coalesce into a unique bioacoustic signature. Specifically, the soundscape can be broken up into three components: 1. Geophony- non-biological sounds; 2. Biophony- sounds produced by all biological organisms within a habitat; 3. Anthrophony- human generated sounds. By evaluating the relative frequencies within the soundscape, we can gain insight into the changes in the density and biodiversity in the area. Pijanowski et al. (2011) demonstrate how each component of the soundscape is interconnected, as human activity directly alters, and often destroys, biodiversity in the region and add layers of noise into the biophony; the atmosphere interacts with the natural landscape to create sounds like a running river or wind rustling through the trees; climatic patterns influence plant growth, which then affects animal populations in the region. Each element, big and small, transact to compose a one of a kind symphony. If this isn’t fascinating enough, acoustic features exist even at the cellular level! Sonocytology—founded by UCLA professor Jim Gimzewski and his graduate student Andrew Pelling—is the study of the sounds of a cell, derived from the amplification of cellular vibrations (Patel). With the help of an atomic force microscope, Gimzewski and Pelling were able to detect sounds stemming from the movement of molecular motors transporting materials within the cell (Patel).
 
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Part of our assignment this week was to record the soundscapes around us. I decided to record in my front yard, which happens to be right in front of my elementary school. These sounds, which I’ve learned to tune out overtime, are part of my home and part of my past. As I listen to the sounds of the children laughing and playing, I’m flooded with bittersweet nostalgia. I can remember the simpler times of running around the playground with my childhood friends (many of which I’ve kept in touch with). It’s insane to see how much we’ve all blossomed throughout the years. Additionally, I included a recording from my usual study spot on campus: on a bench underneath some trees near the Powell library. I’ve always preferred to study out in nature, as opposed to a silent classroom or library. I feel like my mind is able to slow down and concentrate better when I’m surrounded by the melodic chirping of the birds up above, the wind sifting through the leaves, and the occasional squirrel hopping from branch to branch. As I analyze the recording, I’m amazed by the layers of sound that make up this familiar setting, many of which are effectively ignored as I habituate to the environment. By tuning into each layer, my existence feels smaller yet very meaningful in the scope of it all. I am but a little blip in the soundscape, yet my actions still contribute to its unique sound signature.
 
Works Cited

“David Roy.” M 2 3, https://www.m23.co/david-roy.

David. “Soundscape Ecology.” Echo Active, https://www.echoactive.com/sound/soundscape-ecology.

Pasoulas, Aki. “The Art and Science of Acoustic Ecology.” ENT & Audiology News, 7 Jan. 2020, https://www.entandaudiologynews.com/features/audiology-features/post/the-art-and-science-of-acoustic-ecology.

Patel, Piyush. “How Do Our Cells Produce Sound?” Science ABC, 22 Jan. 2022, https://www.scienceabc.com/pure-sciences/how-do-our-cells-produce-sound.html.

Pijanowski, Bryan C., et al. “What Is Soundscape Ecology? an Introduction and Overview of an Emerging New Science.” Landscape Ecology, vol. 26, no. 9, 2011, pp. 1213–1232., https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-011-9600-8.

“UCLA Design Media Arts / Calendar.” UCLA Design Media Arts Full, https://dma.ucla.edu/events/calendar/?ID=1214.