NeuroScience + Art

Human Brain with Neuron System
This week’s topic is about Neuroscience. It is a very complicated yet interesting area of discussion that people always seek to understand more. With modern technology, we have more understanding of our complex brain than ever.

The key of this week’s topic lies with our brain. The brain is deemed as the most important organ that makes us human. Most living organisms have brain, but we are the only being that
utilizes it at a high level. We do not have the biggest brain, nor the biggest brain in proportion to body weight. Our brain is only slightly more complex than that of animals. Yet, we are the only being on Earth capable of achieving our modern society.

Portrait of BrainWave by E. Joteva
Memory is a key component of our life. Things and events will not last throughout one’s lifespan; at the end of day, all we can recall is the memory of that moment. Like the theme of the past event I have been to, the artist, E. Joteva, showed the ephemeral of materialistic world. In the brain, hippocampus plays an important role to store memory, damage to this region of the brain will lead to memory loss and even Alzheimer’s disease. In our daily lives, we practice with our hands and remember our mind. Through the process of memory, we gain knowledge to better ourselves, especially at the schooling ages. Though, animals too can remember things, we can do a much better job. We, not only can remember the event itself, can also link the memory with emotions. We remember how we felt at that moment in the past, and this memory can trigger new emotions. I believe that’s a key area that separates us from all other organisms.

On the other hand, although we have such a complex brain that we have yet to fully understand, people have already developed methods to mess with it. For example, LSD. With technology, we can see the effect of such drugs on our brain and the results were shocking. These drugs can “unleash a wave of changes that altered activity and connectivity across the brain”(Sample). Although such drugs can have positive effect on some psychological diseases, it is used more for recreational purposed nowadays. Often in the news, I can association of artists with these recreational drugs for better inspiration and creativity. I cannot deny their pieces, but messing with one’s brain? I’m not so sure with that.
Drawing of an Artist Under Different Drugs 


Brain is a critical component of our body and there are still so much more for us to understand.


References:

Owen, James. National Geography. "Many Animals—Including Your Dog—May Have Horrible Short-Term Memories". http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/150225-dogs-memories-animals-chimpanzees-science-mind-psychology/ Accessed May 21 2017

Sample, Ian. The Guardian. "LSD's impact on the brain revealed in groundbreaking images". https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/apr/11/lsd-impact-brain-revealed-groundbreaking-images Accessed May 21 2017

Schleifer, Bradford G. The Real Truth. "Human Mind vs. Animal Brain-Why So Different?". https://realtruth.org/articles/090806-002-science.html Accessed May 21 2017

Vesna, Victoria. YouTube. "Neuroscience pt3". Uconlineprogram, 16 May 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0 Accessed May 21 2017

Wikipedia. "Hippocampus". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus Accessed May 21 2017




Comments

  1. elenaMay 22, 2017 at 4:54 PM

    I totally agree with you that brain is one of the most important parts in human's body. Also, it is really amazing that I referred to the same art work related to the dreams from the art event. Furthermore, I think that it is very interesting that you brings about the drug part on brain. I have the same doubt about using drugs to create art, and it is definitely not beneficial for the way that brain functions.

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