brandonnguyenDESMA9

    Recently, I had the opportunity to explore north and south campuses with the goal of understanding the differences between the two.  I did so with my dog Bear (pictured below) and a few close friends of mine. Bear and I Leaving Campus      We began our walk on the north side of campus.  I typically reside on north campus, being an economics major.  I was able to take in all the sculptures, the elaborate buildings, and the greenery present everywhere you look.  I believe this style of architecture and design really resonates well with majors pertaining to the arts.  Since this was a weekend trip, I wasn’t able to people watch like I normally do.  However, I am very used to seeing students lounging, relaxing, and taking in the environment. Bear Exploring North Campus      As we made our way to the south side of campus, I noticed major changes in the landscape.  I noticed that the south side of campus is mu...

     This week, it was very interesting learning about space and its relation to nano technology.  I’ve always been fascinated with space but I have never taken the time to sit down and attempt to understand everything we know about the vast void beyond our earth. Space      I loved learning about the existence of Buckyballs and how they entered into the earth’s atmosphere.  There lies a unique combination of something so small relating to nanotech and something as large and as vast as space.   Buckyball            It was also extremely interesting learning how science fiction has slowly become a reality.  We have heard stories that were outlandish at the time of publication that soon came to be a reality.  One example of this is a Russian school teacher who was able to describe a space station well before the first space station was created.  His work was published in the year 1920 while...

     As this week began, I was not accustomed to nanoscience at all.  Through the videos provided for this week’s lectures, I was able to learn that nanotechnology has to do with producing tiny pieces of tech.  The term nano refers to a billionth of a meter which is too small for the human brain to comprehend without reference. Nanotech      Something extremely interesting I learned about is the idea that everyone is made out of a complex series of letters that comprise DNA.  In his TED talk, Paul Rothemund discusses how everyone we know can technically be described as a computer-fabricated artifact.  In a way, he is trying to redefine how we identify with life and genes.  He continues to discuss how each function of a cell replicates a machine we’ve created.  There exist solar panels, cameras, and motors just as we see in modern technology. Code Found in DNA      In my own research, I was also able to learn abou...

     I’ve just completed the 24 hour unplugged challenge.  I had high hopes going into the challenge and I was met with lots of benefits but arguably more inconveniences.      I noticed that throughout the day, not having access to devices compelled me to spend more with with my friends.  Instead of sitting in silence in my room, I was more motivated to leave my room.  I ate 2 meals with my peers and snuck in a great workout all while avoiding technology.  I also was able to finally put up happy birthday balloons for my girlfriend’s upcoming birthday. Girlfriend's Happy Birthday Balloons      Once I ran out of actual tasks to finish, I found myself really stuck.  It was too early to go to sleep and I no longer had the option to kill time on my phone.  I decided to try doing some meditation.  This meditation was amazing for about 20 minutes.  I aligned my thoughts and got a better sense of direction for ...

     This week I was able to learn more about neuroscience.  More specifically, neuroscience in the context of art. Neuroscience      To begin, I only ever had a surface level understanding of what neuroscience was.  I only understood it was a type of science that had to do with the mind or brain.  After some research, I was able to understand that neuroscience can be better defined as a study of the nervous system and how it interacts with the brain.      One concept I was able to learn more about is the idea of brainhood.  Brainhood is the idea that our brain is who we are.  It is our personality, our decisions, and an embodiment of our consciousness.  We often see the idea of brainhood being displayed in vectors of art and media.  In “Neuroculture” by Giovanni Franzzetto and Suzanne Anker, I learned about the film “Donovan’s Brain”.  This film is able to build on the idea that you are your brain by t...

    This week I was able to learn about biotech.  Specifically in relation to art.  Previously to this week, I wasn’t sure what biotech was.  It seemed too daunting to even begin to understand.  After reviewing sources, I can say I have at least a base level understanding of the industry. Biotech      Firstly, I’d like to express my personal beliefs on using life itself as an expressive medium.  I believe that using life as an expressive medium has great potential to unlock boundaries.  In playing with life forms, we can learn more about humans and animals that may lead to life-altering advancements in the future.  One of these potential advancements was the extra ear experiment.  This experiment has the potential to help people with body misconfigurations in the future.  Pursuing these artistic endeavors may allow scientists to explore avenues that would have never been traversed previously. Extra Ear Project ...