After thousands of years of speculation from earth of what space was like, the last century has brought some answers and even more questions.  I really appreciated the context professor Vesna gave on the history of the solar system and the recent space age.

Although space has been at the center of human imagination for millenniums, it has never been more prevalent than it is now.  This is evident by the massive amount of spending that was poured into the nuclear and space races by the USSR and USA as discussed in professor Vesna’s lecture.  The vast unknowns of deep space inspired leaders to reach out to the final frontier and search for what life and possibilities exist beyond our current understandings. 

Along with the money poured into the space race, the possibilities of space also inspire art and social culture.  Billions of dollars are poured into cinema each year, and every year there are new movies about space and alien life that grab our attention and take the viewer on an adventure.  From my childhood until now I have been gripped by the television and movie storylines of space, from Space Jam and the Jetsons, to Wall E, Avatar and Interstellar.  The unknown often drives human interest and art and space has plenty of unknown to offer the imagination.

Observations by astronomers such as Copernicus and Galileo 15^th-17^th centuries helped drive a movement to the space age that has arrived in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. "Astrological beliefs in correspondences between celestial observations and terrestrial events have influenced various aspects of human history, including world-views, language and many elements of social culture."

Among Indo-European peoples, astrology has been dated to the 3rd millennium BC, with roots in calendric systems used to predict seasonal shifts and to interpret celestial cycles as signs of divine communications. Space has greatly influenced science and art with its vast unpredictability and inspires the imagination.

Resources:
"History of Astrology." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 31 May 2015.

"Imagining the Universe: Cosmology in Art and Science." - Stanford News. Web. 31 May 2015.

"Space intro." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May. 2015. Lecture Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=26&v=zzN08A6UBoo

"Astronomy Picture of the Day." APOD: 2009 October 11. Web. 31 May 2015.

"The Fluid Dynamics of “The Starry Night”: How Vincent Van Gogh’s Masterpiece Explains the Scientific Mysteries of Movement and Light." Brain Pickings RSS. Web. 31 May 2015.

Week 8 - nanotechnology and Art

This week’s topic of nanotechnology was difficult for me to comprehend because I had never before thought about nanotechnology.  Deals with the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers.  For an example of how small a nanometer is, a sheet of paper is 100,00 nanometers thick.  Prior to this class I would have never connected science with art, and prior to this week, I would never imagine art to be done at such incredibly small scale.  However, I was surprised that when I researched more about the topic, thousands of results showed up about artists working at this nano-level and the challenges they face.

Visual Art is generally thought of as an expression that is done with and appreciated at a level easily observed by the eye. “Nanoscale objects are not only too small to see but too small to photograph with even with the best cameras. It takes devices such as scanning electron microscopes to get nanoscale images of any sort” (The art of nanotech).  These artists face the challenge of working on projects that are basically unobservable.

Along with visual art,  Nanotech is being utilized in fashion.  New nanotechnology allows clothes to resist spills and wrinkles, and wear longer between washings. By reconstructing atoms at the lowest level, nanotechnology is revolutionizing fashion capabilities and durability.

If used for positive motives, nanoscience could create vast opportunities in art and technology. I am excited for what the future has in store for us if we continue to use nanotech to further our society.

"The Art of Nanotech." Bits The Art of Nanotech Comments. N.p., 25 Jan. 2008. Web. 24  May 2015.

"Nanotech in Fashion: The Trend in New Fabrics." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015.

"8 Incredible Nanotechnologies That Actually Exist Today." Io9. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2015.

"When Nanotechnology Meets Art." ScienceAndReligioncom. N.p., 20 Apr. 2011. Web. 24 May 2015.