Week 7 - Neuroscience and Art

             The brain is arguably the most important organ that contributes to our individuality. In addition, society has been studying the brain and mind up to a point in which we understand a vast amount about what contributes to our dreams, emotions, aesthetics, and habits.

Neurotransmitter move across the synapse of the brain. Found here.

             One reason that combination of art and neuroscience is an important contributing aspect to society is that it allows society to further understand the potential up and coming technologies in the future, and contemplate the ethics associated with these technologies. For example, in one of my favorite moves, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, the main characters undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories and the male main character attempts to understand his fragmented memories. This well-executed,  creative plot allows the viewers to contemplate the ethics of such a procedure, and the reactions allow scientists to act based on them.

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind explore technologies associated with memory. Found Here.

            In addition, artists also pursue chemical-altering drugs in the brain and the effects the drugs can have. Frazzetto notes that, “The drugs of choice have changed as culture has evolved”. Discoveries in neuroscience have a huge effect on society as it these drugs have an immense effect on popular culture.

Drugs influence pop culture. Found in Frazetto article, "NeuroCulture".

           Finally, artists can beat scientists to conclusions on the human mind, such as when Proust beat neuroscientists in discovering that memory is faulty and always changing. The line between art and science is no longer so well defined just as we had mentioned in the first week when we studied C.P. Snow's, "Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution". In conclusion, the combination of neuroscience and art  can go beyond art to allow society to contemplate the up and coming technologies, can alter popular culture, and can help discover more theories not formerly thought of.

Sources

Frazetto, Giovanni. "NeuroCulture." Science and Society. n. page. Print.

Gondry, Michael. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. N.d. Movie. n.p. Web. 17 Nov 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/>.

Max, D. T. . "Swan's Hypothesis ." New York Times. n. page. Print. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/books/review/Max-t.html?_r=0>.

"Neurotransmitter." Intro to the Brain. n. page. Print. <http://its.sdsu.edu/multimedia/mathison/neurotransmitter/>.

Snow, C.P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.