Week 4: Art and Medicine

In many ways medicine is an art. A surgeon for example can re-build a body using a scalpel like a paintbrush and the body like paint. Because one day I would love to become a doctor or better yet, a surgeon this week’s lessons interested me far more than the past weeks.  

Surgeon

Peter Tyson’s “The Hippocratic Oath Today” was fascinating to me as it has been featured on practically every medical show that inspired me growing up. It was very interesting to see the changes made to the oath because of the changes in society’s moral ideas. In many ways the same interests a doctor had in the past such as treating patients regardless of the attitude towards a person still holds true. 

The logistics and ethically excepted clauses are what changed. One field of medicine that is always in ethical question is plastic surgery. Plastic surgery as Dr. Vesna lectures about began because of World War, however, it has come a long way since. With new advancing technology, medicine is now able to change any part of the body, add prosthetic limbs, or remove any imperfections.

Prosthetic Eye

 The use of art in medicine, however, has reached far more places than a surgical room. In Diane Gromala’s TEDtalk she talks about her work using virtually reality simulators to control chronic pain. In the past, there has been evidence of the surrounding interacting with the molecular biology of a person. For example, a powerful piece of art can evoke serotonin levels to rise, causing a reduction of stress and increasing your happiness. I believe using art to not only treat but hopefully to one-day cure hormone imbalances or pain disorders is absolutely brilliant.

Works Cited

Curative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty. Perf. Diane Gromala. YouTube. TEDx, n.d. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdarMz--Pw>.

Medical Sign. Digital image. Custonwalks.com. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.customwalks.com/blog/post/snakes-sacred-dogs-and-the-hippocratic-oath-on-the-greek-island-of-kos>.

Prosthetic Eye. Digital image. Ocular Prosthetics Inc, n.d. Web. <http://ocularpro.com/prosthetic-eye-services-los-angeles/custom-prosthetic-eye/>.

Surgeon. Digital image. Orthopaedic Care. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.orthopaediccare.net/orthopaedic-surgeons/>.

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 01 May 2017. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/psjnQarHOqQ.” Lecture. Medicine pt2 . Youtube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ>.

Week Three: Robotics + Art

Robots: Man’s attempt to make simple everyday tasks faster, easier and more efficient. It seems like every day there is a new gadget for anything imaginable but for decades now, scientist have been trying to make the ultimate robot. A robot capable of going into situations too dangerous for humans in efforts to save the lives of others. Movies like Big Hero Six shows a young boy, Hiro who is left with his brother’s creation after his sudden death. 

Baymax, the friendly balloon-like protagonist is a robot that assesses the health of a person and works to fix the person. This movie, set in a Japan-like country is just what Professor Machiko Kusahara discussed in her lecture comparing the purpose and goals scientist aim to achieve when creating robots in the west versus in Japan. As she explains, Japan’s focus is to create non-threatening robots to aid in natural disasters just like Baymax. 

Japanese Model of Robot Used in Medical Field

On the other hand, robots in the United States are more commercially found such as the newest pet robot. 

Pet Robot

The straying from the original purpose of robots is something Walter Benjamin argues is due to the constant creation and recreation of art. As he states, the recreation of art lowers how genuine and powerful a work of art can be. Likewise, if one can accept that robots are a new form of modern art, by making the parts more affordable and by tailoring to the wants rather than the needs of humans, robots are becoming more of a toy rather than a useful tool. In addition, Machiko argues that in the West robots are seen as something evil that can take over the world. In my opinion, Hollywood movies like The Terminator aid in planting these ideas. 

The Terminator Movie

In all, robots are works of art capable of changing the world if used correctly.

Works Cited

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin,           2008. Print.

"CHiP the Lovable Robot Dog." Toysrus. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. <http://www.toysrus.com/buy/robotics/chip-the-lovable-robot-dog-0805-92832866>.

Disneyanimation. "Disney's Big Hero 6 - Official US Trailer 2." YouTube. YouTube, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IdMPpKMdcc>.

"Ibland är En Robot Att Föredra Framför En Människa." Äldrenytt. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. <http://www.aldreomsorgsbloggen.se/ibland-ar-en-robot-att-foredra-framfor-en-manniska/>.

KingsYTP. "Terminator 1984 Theme (Full HD)." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Jan. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58xFtLKg0cM>.

Robotics MachikoKusahara 1. Dir. Vesna. Perf. Machiko Kusahara. YouTube, n.d. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQZ_sy-mdEU>.

Vesna,Victoria. “Lecture” Robotics + Art. 12 April. 2017. Lecture.