Unit 7: Neuroscience + Art

The brain is the second closest thing, next to outer space, that scares me. How is it that I am able to process these thoughts and be able to write about how? The ability of my brain to process information and send signals to by body to type and be present in the moment is a phenomenon that I struggle to understand. However, it was made clear that the process of being able to understand how the brain functions is something that can be linked to influences in the world of art. The earliest ideas of the brain as introduced by Gall indicate that the brain is "phrenological," which was a very creative theory that the brain was broken up into particular sections that had their own functions. This idea, while not scientifically accurate, can still be related to how we view the brain today.

Cognitive revolution allowed there to be an acknowledgement of consciousness and unconsciousness. Even more so, as it was briefly mentioned in the first lecture, it has been found that the Left and Right sides of the brain serve their own functions. Left Brain vs. Right Brain is something that has always interested me because they can be categorized into an "artistic" side and a "structured" side. The ability of the brain to function in these ways can be loosely related to the idea of a phrenology brain because specific parts of the brain are designated or associated with different actions.

In the Penrose reading, he states that "A lot of what the brain does you could do on a computer. I'm not saying that all the brain's action is completely different from what you do on a computer...I'm saying that it's beyond the physics we know now" (Penrose).  The capability that the brain has in relation to a computer is so similar, yet we know how to use the function of a machine better than we can control our own minds. Viewing the brain in this context shows just how amazing it is that we are able to create the works of art and the possibility of the art that we will be able to make in the future.

Works Cited 

Bateson, Gregory. Mind and Nature: A Necessary Unity. New York: Dutton, 1979. Print.

Gardner, Howard. Art, Mind, and Brain: A Cognitive Approach to Creativity. New York: Basic, 

1982. Print.

Melina, Remy. "What's the Difference Between the Right Brain and Left Brain?" LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 12 Jan. 2011. Web. 17 May 2015.

Penrose, Roger. "Consciousness Involves Noncomputable Ingredients." The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution. N.p.: Simon & Schuster, 1995. N. pag. Print.

   Vesna, Victoria. "Consciousness/Memory." Neuroscience and Art Lecture. UCLA, Los Angeles. 11 May 2015. Lecture.

Pictures

Phrenology: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:Phrenology.jpg

Artistic Brain: https://www.pinterest.com/katelynrichelle/the-creative-cranium/

Computer Brain: http://controlmind.info/human-brain/brain-and-computer