Week 4: Medicine + Technology + Art

The most prominent intersection (to me) of medicine, technology, and art is prosthetics. To my knowledge, most prosthetics’ purposes are function, form, or both. I first encountered functional prosthetics in middle school. I and other kids in a local club used a Lego robotics set (https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/mindstorms) to make a very simple prosthetic hand. We deconstructed a toy (https://store.neurosky.com/products/mindflex) and soldered some wires together so that someone could move the hand into a preprogrammed position by varying their mental concentration. If I remember correctly, our adult mentors did almost everything of significance, but the project succeeded in introducing me at an early age to the potential of technology and art in medicine.

The robotics set my team used.

Growing up in suburban New Jersey, I didn’t encounter much cosmetic surgery, although I knew what it was. Coming to LA was the first time I witnessed regular nose jobs and facelifts. I was surprised by how widespread they were. Speaking candidly with people who had undergone such procedures helped me carve away at my prejudices about the “type of people” that get them. This class further helped me "carve away" by exposing me to non-functional prosthetics without the purpose of increasing one’s physical beauty (e.g. Stelarc attaching an ear to his forearm).

A graphic detailing the cities with the most plastic surgeries by per capita. LA comes in at #3.

I’d also like to note that art, technology, and medicine don't intersect just at the organic level. Technology and art influence medicine indirectly, too. For example, when I need a prescription refill from CVS, I select my desired prescriptions on the CVS app on my phone, and they’re magically delivered to my front door. Creating such an application requires heavy use of technology. Additionally, artists must design an intuitive UI/UX before the app's creation - which is critical if you want your customers to include people who didn’t grow up with technology.

A screenshot I took of the CVS app on my phone. It makes it easier and faster to get prescriptions.

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations Between Science and Arts.” (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 26 Oct. 2012.
Katz, Leslie. “Man Implants Ear in His Arm so the World Can Eavesdrop on His Life.” CNET, CNET, 14 Aug. 2015, www.cnet.com/news/man-implants-ear-in-his-arm-so-the-world-can-eavesdrop-on-his-life/.
“Lego Mindstorms NXT.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Mindstorms_NXT.
Tyson, Peter. “The Hippocratic Oath Today.” PBS. PBS, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html>.
Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/Ep0M2bOM9Tk.” Lecture. Medicine pt1 . Youtube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2021. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk>.
Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/FIX-9mXd3Y4.” Lecture. Medicine pt3. Youtube, 22 Apr. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2021. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4>.
Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/psjnQarHOqQ.” Lecture. Medicine pt2 . Youtube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2021. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ>.
“Which US City Has the Most Plastic Surgeons?: Cosmetic Town.” Which US City Has the Most Plastic Surgeons? | Cosmetic Town, www.cosmetictown.com/journal/news/us-cities-with-most-plastic-surgeons.