Event 2

This past Thursday, I visited the Fowler Museum in order to visit a museum that is featured at UCLA. There were surprisingly many people at the museum, mostly due to the fact that there were several incoming freshman that were touring the campus. I have been to the Fowler Museum once, so revisiting was a nice experience.

Picture of me in front of the Fowler Museum

One of the art pieces that I enjoyed was the Chair of Power. The Chair of Power was made throughout the 19^th century and into the 20^th century. This chair was made as a prototype from Egypt and was inspired by the Swahili. High ranking officials sat on this chair for special occasions and this chair was offered to guest as a sign of respect. This chair fascinated me, because of its great use of math and art. Each square on the foot step is exactly the same with 4 triangles on its corners. The chair is perfectly symmetrical with each side containing 5 squares on the vertical plane and 3 rectangular shapes on the middle. The symmetry and complex design is what makes this chair so aesthetically pleasing.

Chair of Power

 Another piece that caught my attention was an image of an iPhone poster and a man. This poster made me think about the two cultures that coexisted in order to create the iPhone, being science and art. This idea was brought up from the first week’s readings and lectures. Steve Jobs was obsessed with the idea of making the iPhone look aesthetically beautiful as possible. Every single aspect of it had to look amazing. Not only that, but also the iPhone had to be advanced in technology as well. The iPhone allowed the consumer, to surf the web, listen to music, take photos, and use apps all in one device. Clearly there is a balance between the two cultures, science and art, which made the iPhone such a success.

Image of iPhone poster and man

In conclusion, I would recommend a visit to the Fowler Museum, especially for UCLA students because it is so easily accessible and free.

Week 5: Space + Art

Prior to the readings and lectures from this week, I had a fair knowledge of space. I have taken a couple astronomy classes, so I am familiar with the fundamentals and basics of space. Despite this knowledge, the readings still fascinated me, because it stretched my imagination in terms of human capabilities to explore space. Immediately, what came to mind when doing the readings were science fiction films. As a matter of fact, the lecture explicitly states that these films inspired some of the scientific breakthroughs. Movies such as Gravity and Interstellar were some of my favorites scientific fiction movies.

Gravity Movie Poster

One thing that this week’s lectures and readings made me really think about is how large our universe really is. I thought about the Power of Ten, which is the effect of adding another power of zero when you zoom farther away using a telescope. The more zeros you add, you can imagine that there is millions of galaxy that follow. One of the images that amazed me was the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. The image shows many galaxies in one picture. NASA took the picture by capturing various amounts of light throughout the years.

Hubble Ultra Deep Field

However, NASA would not be where it is today without the space race. The events that occurred during the space race surprised me the most, because technology was becoming so advanced in such a short amount of time. This all started when Sputnik was launched by the Soviet Union. Essentially, this meant that the Russians were ahead of the United States in terms of space exploration and technology. This inspired the creation of NASA and shortly after, they launched Neil Armstrong and his team into space, which marked the first time humans landed on the moon and the United States overtaking Russia in the space race.

Space Race 

Sources 

"A Brief History Of  Space Art." A Brief History of Space Art. Don Dixon, n.d. Web. 23 July 2016.

Clar, Richard. "Website of Richard Clar and Art Technologies, a Collaboration between Space Technology and the Arts." Website of Richard Clar and Art Technologies, a Collaboration between Space Technology and the Arts. Art Technologies, 2005. Web. 23 July 2016.

Dunbar, Brian. "NASA Designs New Space Telescope Optics to Find a New Earth." NASA. NASA, 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 23 July 2016.

"Hubble Anniversary: 25 of the Most Beautiful Images Captured by Nasa's Space Telescope." International Business Times RSS. IBTimes Co., Ltd., 22 Apr. 2015. Web. 23 July, 2016.

Marlow. "An Eames Office Website." Powers of Ten Blog. N.p., 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 July, 2016.

Images 

"Gravity." Slate.  N.p., 4 October 2013. Web. 23 July, 2016. 

"Hubble Ultra Deep Field." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 July, 2016. 

Skelly, Dylan. "The Space Race." The Space Race. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 July, 2016.  

Week 5: Nanotech + Art

In this week’s lectures and videos, I was introduced to the nanotechnology industry. Dr. Gimzewski does a great job of diving into this industry and talking about its true potential. It fascinates me how something that humans cannot see with the naked eye can make such a huge impact in our world. With the use of a microscope, we are able to witness the beauty of nanotechnology and observe how we can apply our findings to every day a life.

A portion that I found most insightful was the adhesive properties of a gecko’s feet that Dr. Gimzewski talks about. Their feet allow them to stick on to vertical surfaces without falling. They are able to do this because of the nan-structure on their feet. Scientists now are still unable to copy the nano-structures of a gecko; however if humans manage to harness this characteristic this would mean humans can one day climb on buildings. As a matter of fact, in the movie Mission Impossible 4, it exercise this idea when Tom Cruise uses gecko gloves in order to climb onto the building. 

Gecko Gloves from Mission Impossible 4 

Another use of nanotechnology that I found interesting is its use in computers. With every passing year, computers become more advanced and efficient. Part of the reason they become more efficient is because of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology allows engineers to significantly shrink the size of the computer chip. The new, smaller computer chip can still produce the same function as the old, larger ones. This makes it much cheaper for manufacturers. The use of nanotechnology can be applicable to a variety of industries from tech to art and to even our everyday appliances.

Use of nanotechnology in computer chips

This is what surprised me the most about nanotechnology. I did not realize that nanotechnology can be found in our every day appliances. For instance, some clothing such as socks and underwear contain silver nanoparticles that can destroy bacteria. Essentially, the silver nanotechnology acts as armor that protects the appliance against germs and bacteria. This silver nanotechnology can be found not only in clothes, but also food containers, face masks, laundry detergent and more.

Silver nanoparticle

Sources 

Feder, Barnaby. “The Art of Nanotech.” Bits The Art of Nanotech Comments. New York Times, 25 Jan. 2008. Web. 21 July 2016.

Flatow, Ira. "How Tiny Nanoparticles Are Transforming Technology." How Tiny Nanoparticles Are Transforming Technology : NPR. NPR, 4 Sept. 2009. Web. 21 July 2016.

Gaudin, Sharon. MIT uses nanotech to shrink chips to 25nm. Computer World. Web . 21 July 2016. 

“Silver Nanoparticles – How They Are Bringing Antibacterial Properties To Household Appliances and Products.” AZoM.com. N.p., 17 Aug. 2006. Web. 21 July 2016.

"What Is Silver Nano Health System in Samsung Refrigerators?" What Is Silver Nano Health System in Samsung Refrigerators? N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2016.

Images 

“Gecko Gloves.” NASA. N.p., 10 July 2014. Web. 21 July, 2016.

“Nanosilver.” Ecouterre. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July, 2016.

“What is a Computer Chip.” Wise Geek. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July, 2016.