Unit 7: Neuroscience and Art

This week's topic relating neuroscience and art is very interesting to me. Neuroscience is a very broad topic, ranging from the physical and chemical structure of the brain, the unconsciousness mind and perception.

Sketch of neurons.

In the video lectures, Victoria Vesna talks about the history of neuroscience. In the videos, images of  the intricate connection patterns between neurons were shown, and were very beautiful and artistic sketches. Vesna mentions pioneer of neuroscience, Santiago Ramon y Cajal, who deeply studied the central nervous system. Ramon y Cajal describes neurons as the "mysterious butterflies of the soul". These descriptions show a different, more artistic side of neuroscience that most people often do not consider when thinking of neuroscience.

"Brainbow", created by fluorescent proteins injected and
distinguishing brain neurons. 

Vesna also describes what "brainbow" is: the process by which individual neurons of the brain can be distinguished using a fluorescent proteins. I was immediately astonished at the images shown of the brainbow because of how colorful and beautiful they were. If I had not known that these were supposed to be neurons, I never would have guessed it and would just think they were a different form of art. Not only does the brainbow serve as a striking work of art, it also allows scientists follow complex neural pathways.



I was surprised to discover through the lecture videos, that cocaine and LSD used to be legal drugs in the United States. LSD is a hallucinogen that affects the brain to the point where a person may see or hear things that aren't there, characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination with an intense kaleidoscopic play of colors. The use of LSD in psychology used to be an accepted practice as a teaching tool, and was also used to try to treat some conditions such as schizophrenia, criminal behavior and alcoholism. The artwork created by people who have experienced LSD is very distinguishable, with a wide variety of colors and is something that isn't seen in traditional forms of art.

Sources

“Brainbow.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 May 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainbow.

deCharms, Christopher. “A Look inside the Brain in Real Time.” TED, 2008, www.ted.com/talks/christopher_decharms_scans_the_brain_in_real_time?language=en#t-215781.

Deutsch, David. “A New Way to Explain Explanation.” TED, 2009, www.ted.com/talks/david_deutsch_a_new_way_to_explain_explanation.

“Inside the LSD Museum That the DEA Somehow Hasn't Nuked | WIRED.” YouTube, 19 Feb. 2016, youtu.be/m1mr1k7eztg.

“Schrödinger's Cat.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat.

Vesna, Victoria. “Neuroscience-pt1.Mov.” YouTube, 17 May 2012, youtu.be/TzXjNbKDkYI.

Vesna, Victoria. “Neuroscience-pt2.Mov.” YouTube, 17 May 2012, youtu.be/TFv4owX3MZo.

Vesna, Victoria. “Neuroscience pt3.” YouTube, 16 May 2012, youtu.be/E5EX75xoBJ0.