Week 5

Week 5: Bioplastic – Created by Surrounding Biology

This week, we had Xin Xin as a guest to talk and share her experiences in bioplastics. Production of bioplastic includes soybean, chicken feather, blood, milk, algae and olive oil – the materials that are actually abundant in our surroundings. During her presentation, she introduced us milk buttons. It immediately drew my attention as milk is something that I always make sure to have in the fridge. During my additional research, I found that it was produced in 20th century by utilizing the main protein, called casein, found in milk.

Week 5: Gelatin Bioplastic & Edible Straws

It was a pleasure to have Xin Xin discuss her point of view and perspective on bioplastic. We talked about different types of plastic which included fossil fuel that involves a combination of petroleum and natural gas. There are several different methods of creating bioplastic, whether it be from gelatin, potato and corn starch, as well as algae based substances, this is an exciting aspect for innovation.

Week 4: RecycLA and Midterm Proposal - Cultural Knowledge and Science

In 2017, Los Angeles issued a new recycling program named “RecycLA”. RecycLA provides a franchise service provider that is available to everyone in the city of Los Angeles; before the “RecycLA” program, there were multiple private haulers that would provide service at varying rates and quantities. The program requires businesses and multi-family buildings to recycle. Prior to the new program, recycling was voluntary. I am very interested to know many of the materials that we recycle end up in the trash, and how many are indeed successfully recycled.

Traveling Brainwaves

The Octopus Brainstorming was an amazing project by Professor Victoria Vesna and Neuroscientist Mark Cohen that we as a class were able to take part in. I was very amazed by the structure of this project and my first impression in observing this piece was how thoughtful and fun the octopus crowns were designed. But other than the physical appearance of it, the science developed behind it was very fascinating.

Brainstorming Project

This week’s class was very intriguing. We got to experience Professor Victoria’s Brainstorming project in collaboration with Dr. Cohen. What interested me the most in this project was how it based on science but how it was aesthetically appealing as well. I really like the touch of the octopus crown and how it changes color based on electric waves from the brain. Even though we got to sit with the crown and imitated the scenario, I still cannot imagine how it would feel to be in sync literally with someone else.

Brainstorming - the project that will light up your brain

As a molecular biologist, I only have a rudimentary understanding of neuroscience and had to do a fair amount of research on brain waves before being prepared to write this blog. The Brainstorming project by Dr. Vesna and collaborators was fascinating enough to sustain me on the endeavor of reading many neuroscience papers to obtain a grasp on the human nervous system. To my understanding, emotions and behaviors arise through neuronal interactions in the brain. Synchronized electrical pulses that result from neuronal interactions produce brainwaves.

Brainstorm after the Octopus Brainstorm project

This week I had a chance to see and experience the Octopus Brain Storming project. This project is a series of collaborative works between our professor Victoria Vesna and a Neuroscientist Mark Cohen, and this project is talking about the brain to brain communication. The idea is to see the brainwave from the brain to brain communication, the volunteers are stimulated by sounds, images or videos. Participants wear octopus crown, receive wireless signals from the EEG computer, and the color of LEDS have measured the similarity between the participants.

Brainstorming the potential of "Brainstorming"

This week, our class got the opportunity to experience an artistic piece which melds performance art and science. In this collaboration by Dr. Vesna and Dr Cohen, "Brainstorming", Individuals are allowed to wear helmets containing electrodes which record brain activity. The brain activity is then analyzed to illuminate the helmet a specific colour. Two individuals wear helmets and sit opposite from each other.

Brainstorming Technology

With the expansion of the internet and the ability to connect and share with people behind a glowing screen, it is refreshing to be able to just sit and try to listen and connect with someone on a deeper level. This week we experienced this sensation by visiting the “Brainstorming” project (Vesna, 2015). This piece aims to have individuals try to sync up their electrical brain activity, corresponding color of their octopus crown, and color-specific jazz music.

Brainstorming about "Brainstorming"

I thought that our visit to Professor Mark Cohen and Professor Vesna’s art Project “Brainstorming” was incredibly interesting. The only thing that could have made it more exciting would have been if it was up and running and actually was connected to my brain. I think that this is an awesome idea for an art piece and love the way that it links the complex, little-understood science and anatomy of the brain with free “thinking,” colorful art.

Brainstorm

This week in class, we discovered Brainstorming, a collaborative work between Professor Vesna and Mark Cohen. The goal was to look into brain-to-brain communication when bombarded with different media, from images to videos. 30032877520_762c130f10_o.jpgBrainstorming, Victoria Vesna. Source: (http://victoriavesna.com/brainstorming/).

Brainstorming

This week Professor introduced us to her Brainstorming project in collaboration with Dr. Cohen. We experienced how electroencephalogram (EEG) waves transmitted from the brain control the colors of the lights within an octopus crown. The project examined the interaction between two individuals, both wearing the crown and how these EEG waves can change and become synced with one another’s.

 

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