Sunday, April 24, 2016

Unit 4: Medicine + Technology + Art

Medicine + Technology + Art


This week’s lecture videos made me think myself. As a member of the UCLA men’s volleyball team, I am extremely prone to injury and often am injured. In the last 4 months, I have had 3 X-rays and 1 MRI on both of my ankles and my right hand. Just like Professor Vesna stated in lecture, I view these operations as normal and take them for granted but the materials presented this week made me realize how much work has been put into this field and how lucky I am today to have access to these technologies so my athletic trainers can work to properly heal my injuries.

A photo of what a typical ankle X-Ray looks like
http://eorif.com/ankle-xray


Silvia Casini’s article on the MRI truly resonated with me because it delves into such depth about the process and meaning behind the imaging technology. I know many people are often frightened of the machine because it is loud, large and intimidating, but I think its medical contribution is unparalleled and completely necessary to further understand one’s human anatomy to ensure the body can function properly. The fact that this machine allows us to create a visual and acoustic portrait allow us to reify our identity construction.

An MRI of an ankle, even more detailed than an X-ray
http://mtb4her.com/its-the-final-countdown/mri-ankle-right-non-enhanced-0001/

I also connected with Diane Gromala in the sense that every day I live with chronic pain. This is mainly due to the impact from my sport, but after watching her TedTalk, I can see how the inner sensations within my body possess the power to influence my overall well-being and state of happiness. Her research influenced my understanding of this week’s topic by forming an abstract connection between art, technology and medicine that goes beyond just physical, complex machinery. I think her perspective allows people to question their own inner sensations and work towards living healthier and happier lives through different means of healing processes involving bio-med feedback.

Meditation is one method used to confront one's inner sensations
http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/10-big-companies-that-promote-employee-meditation/




Works Cited

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdarMz--Pw (TedTalk)

https://www.acmi.net.au/drew_berry.htm

Casini, Silvia. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts." (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

Fontcuberta, Joan. "Genome Research." Genome Research RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." PBS. PBS, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.


2 comments:

  1. Interesting post, I liked how you tied in your own personal experience. Do you think the next time you have an MRI that it will be a more "artistic" experience for you?
    -Jacob Hoffman

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  2. Hi Jake,

    Great post! I like how you incorporated an x-ray of your own ankle. I think those photos would make a great photo collage in your room :) I also play sports and I think this new technology is very beneficial to athletes and for the future to come.

    - Karly

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