The overlap between neuroscience and art that stood out most to me in this week’s lecture was Brainbow. Brainbow allows scientists to distinguish neurons next to each other through the use of fluorescent proteins (Vesna 2012). Different derivatives of three primary colors (red, green, and blue) are used to distinctively flag each neuron (Than 2007). The flagging of individual neurons not only allows clear visualization, but also helps scientists identify and follow complex neural pathways (WennersHerron 2016). This flagging via fluorescent proteins is a use of art that heavily impacts the neuroscience field. The images from Brainbow are so unique and eye catching that they have earned awards in science photography competitions (Olympus 2007).
A photo of Brainbow
(Center for Brain Science 2007)
A clear picture of neighboring neurons depicted via different colors
(Center for Brain Science 2007)
LSD was a drug synthesized by Albert Hofmann. Another interesting topic covered in lecture was the use of LSD drugs as inspiration for many artworks (Vesna 2012). One example of an artist who took LSD while painting portraits of the doctor who administered the drug is shown below. Eight hours elapsed between the first and last portrait and it is very clear that the drug affected the way the artist portrayed the subject he was painting (Colman 2013).
A video showing the progression of the artists' portraits throughout 8 hours
(Colman 2013)
While many of these experiments were done in the past, back when LSD was legal, a recent viral post three years ago showed 11 self portraits by someone who took LSD. As shown below, the portraits evolved from a very clear image of a girl to a very abstract picture that included the body along with the head while all the other portraits didn’t. It is clear that LSD causes more creative and abstract art. This is an example of how science (the LSD drug) influences artists and art itself (Dainius 2015).
Portrait 20 minutes after the first dose of LSD
(Colman 2013)
Portrait 2 hours and 45 minutes after the first dose of LSD
(Colman 2013)
Self-portrait 15 minutes after taking LSD
(Leggett 2013)
(Leggett 2013)
Self-portrait 8 hours after taking LSD
(Leggett 2013)
(Leggett 2013)
Self-portrait 8 hours and 45 minutes after taking LSD
(Leggett 2013)
Overall, as shown by the two examples above, art influences neuroscience (Brainbow) and neuroscience influences art (LSD). This is a clear example of the merging of the two cultures into a third culture, as depicted by C.P. Snow, as science and art are being used together to create things influential to the health and art field (Snow 1959). With the consistent overlap between art and neuroscience, I am anticipating and looking forward to learning about future advances in different fields due to this overlap.(Leggett 2013)
Citations
Center for Brain Science. "Brainbow." 2007. Web. 15 May 2016. <http://cbs.fas.harvard.edu/science/connectome-project/brainbow#>.
Colman, Dan. "Artist Draws Nine Portraits on LSD During 1950s Research Experiment." Open Culture. 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 May 2016. <http://www.openculture.com/2013/10/artist-draws-nine-portraits-on-lsd-during-1950s-research-experiment.html>.
Dainius. "Artist Used LSD And Drew Herself For 9 Hours To Show How It Affects Brain." Bored Panda RSS. 2015. Web. 15 May 2016. <http://www.boredpanda.com/lsd-portrait-drawings-girl/>.
Leggett, Tabatha. "11 Self-Portraits Drawn During An LSD Trip." BuzzFeed. 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 May 2016. <https://www.buzzfeed.com/tabathaleggett/self-portraits-drawn-during-an-lsd-trip?utm_term=.fg9gDnwqB#.gr6yG195e>.
Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.
Vesna, Victoria. Lecture. "Neuroscience". 2012. Web. 15 May 2016.
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