Week 7: Neurosci + Art

 May 13th, 2022

                The most complex unit thus far has been the relationship between Neuroscience and Art. Neuroscience can be defined as the study of all cognitive and non-cognitive thoughts and behaviors and how our body responds to those functions. For example, touching a hot stove results in neurons, aka sensory sensors, sending pain signals to the brain to quickly release the handoff of the stove. Concerning art and neurosciences' relationship, both come together to create the study of one's rational and irrational thinking and behaviors to create wonderful works of art and endless capabilities including advancements in science and technology. It has been recently discovered that nearly 95% of all dreams are lost when a person wakes up from their sleep, yet the remaining 5% is the reason for all creativity worldwide. The creation of, math, science, agriculture, finance, and all other studies have been created all due to one's imagination.

  The most well-known Neurologists since the 18th century have been Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Sigmund Freud is responsible for creating the 3 Freudian theories (Id, Ego, and Superego), dynamic vs. economic perspective, and a variety of other perspectives and theories whereas Carl Jung founded analytical psychology and discovered the 4 major archetypes (self, persona, shadow, and anima) of an individual. 

My favorite art neuroscience piece that we learned about this week was the engineering of neurons with different fluorescent colors to help scientists better understand how brain cells transmit signals. As studied further, the engineered protein called GCaMP tracts increased calcium production activity and creates a fluorescent pop under an intense microscope. This type of technology allows researchers to better understand the human brain and how we learn and retain valuable information. 

Citations

Jung, Carl. “The Spiritual Problem of Modern Man.” The Jung Reader, 2012, pp. 219–233., https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203721049-20.

Macpherson, Tom, et al. “Natural and Artificial Intelligence: A Brief Introduction to the Interplay between AI and Neuroscience Research.” Neural Networks, Pergamon, 28 Sept. 2021, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0893608021003683.

Reisyan, Garo D. “Neuroculture.” Neuro-Organizational Culture, 2016, pp. 167–243., https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22147-2_4.

Savage, Neil. “How AI and Neuroscience Drive Each Other Forwards.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 24 July 2019, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02212-4.

Yizhar, Boucarra. “A Glowing Protein Helps Scientists Visualize Brain Cell Activity.” Frontiers for Young Minds, https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2022.620308.