elisezurDESMA9

I attended the “Invisible Ingredients: Unveiling the Science of Processed Foods” exhibition at the ARTSCI Gallery at CNSI. This project was curated by UCLA’s Hot Cling and Shear Magic Research Group led by Professor Hannah Landecker. Attending this exhibition was a very interesting experience where I saw a tangible example of the intersection between art, science, and technology. As soon as I stepped inside the gallery, I was immediately drawn to the idea of the ‘third culture’ our class had learned about; specifically seeing how scientists had used art and design principles to impact their work (Vesna, 123).    This exhibition provided insights into the evolution and impact of food processing technologies through advertisements from industrial trade magazines spanning 1955 to around 1995. In the aftermath of World War II and the rise of the Green Revolution, food and agricultural chemists developed ultra processed foods using synthetic inputs and inexpensive substitutes (Wild...

I found this week’s lecture to be the most intriguing yet, as it explored the intersection of medicine, technology, and art – a combination that enriches the general understanding of the field of science. Something particularly fascinating was the discussion on Henry Gray and his foundational work, “Gray’s Anatomy.” This book is a facet of how art and science are intertwined throughout history, with artists and scientists driving to understand the complexities of the human body. Gray’s text not only revolutionized medical textbooks with its detailed anatomical illustrations and descriptions but also significantly influenced popular culture with the TV show Grey’s Anatomy. As a previous fan of the tv show, I was excited to learn about the origin of the show’s name and its connection to the iconic text, highlighting the pervasive impact across many disciplines (Human Body & Medical Technologies Lecture 1). [Figure 1] Gray's Anatomy (Henry Gray) The lecture also highlighted many m...

Something I have heard a lot about in my studies of Cognitive Science is Alan Turing's creation of the Turing Machine. After World War II, this marked a crucial turning point in the journey towards today’s automated and mechanized world. His groundbreaking work set the stage for the computers we use today, shifting us away from mechanical tools like Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine, and towards sophisticated and dynamic electronic systems (Vesna, “Lectures Part 3”). This paradigm shift drastically changed the conceptual framework surrounding the development of programmable machines, mirroring earlier shifts like the introduction of assembly lines that transformed how goods were produced (Vesna, “Lectures Part 2”). [Figure 1] Difference Engine (Britannica) The Turing Machine’s algorithmic processing has indirectly contributed to the evolution of robotics, a field initially born in response to mechanized labor (Vesna, “Industrialization, Robotics, Kinetic/Robotic art”). More speci...

Since I was younger, I have had some brief understanding of how art and math go together. After watching the lectures videos, reading through the different resources, and reflecting on my upbringing, I am gaining a better understanding of this perspective. From the lecture material and different experiences in my daily life, I know that mathematics is not just for scientists, it is truly at the core of the most important tools our society uses (Vesna, “Math-intro”). [Figure 1] "Math is at the core of everything" I particularly found the piece “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art” by Linda Henderson to be interesting as she explained the significance of the fourth dimension, which ultimately helps artists imagine new ways of creating art that looks different from typical experiences. This text sheds light on the massive paradigm shift in which numbers of artists around the world, and at different times, began exploring art in new ways, mostly by incor...

[Figure 1] (Avik Das, Arpita Misra, Swati Rathor)  Times of India: Why Tech Companies are Hiring People with Humanities Degrees 2020            Hi, I am Elise Zur and I am graduating this June with a degree in Cognitive Science with a Specialization in Computing. My academic journey began in community college as a computer science major, a foundation that significantly shaped my mindset once transferring to UCLA. Despite UCLA’s north-south campus divide, my confidence to thrive as a STEM student remained strong, fueled by my excitement to begin exploring cognitive and social psychology. Although I sometimes wish the Cognitive Science program leaned more towards the “science” side, my technical skills with technology combined with my deep interest in connecting with people have directed me towards a future in UX Research and Product Design – a field perfectly encapsulating the merge between science and design.  [Figure 2]  Cognitive Scien...