Week 4 Art and MedTech

  To be honest, this week’s topic of medicinal technology was a lot more interesting to me in the technological aspect than the artistic implications. I’ve never personally studied anatomical structure and such myself, and as a result didn’t pay as much attention to the parts about the sliced person and the history of dissections. However, I was fascinated by the idea of the chip implants, particularly Kevin Warwick’s implants that allowed him to control his computer with his nerve impulses.Mind control' AI chips can alter a person's moods | Daily Mail Online

My grandfather has Parkinson’s, and I remember in part three of the lecture that the nanochip technology could be utilized to help patients suffering from mental illness. Professor Vesna’s inclusion about Stephen Hawking at the end of the lecture reminded me of how technology can improve our daily lives in miraculous ways. I wonder how different life could be for patients suffering mental illnesses if they could be able to control their surroundings with their thoughts as well.

Mind-controlled smart prosthetic arm architecture | Download Scientific Diagram

At the same time, the idea of implanting chips in humans is also closely tied to the idea of human modification via plastic surgery, prosthetics, and new additions such as the addition of a third arm. This is a field where I believe that people see much more of an artistic value in, whether through aesthetically pleasing designs of new limbs, or through thought provoking ideas that push the boundaries of the human body. 


Wonders, Carl P. “Self-Tuning Brain Implant Could Help Treat Patients with Parkinson's Disease.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 29 May 2018, www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/self-tuning-brain-implant-could-help-treat-patients-parkinsons-disease. 

Greenemeier, Larry. “Self-Experimenters: Self-Styled Cyborg Dreams of Outwitting Superintelligent Machines.” Scientific American, Springer Nature America, Inc, 10 Mar. 2008, www.scientificamerican.com/article/cyborg-10/. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt3.” YouTube, UC Online, 22 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4&feature=emb_title. 

Choi, Jeongho. “Cosmetic Surgery: Is It Science or Art?” Archives of Plastic Surgery, The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, Sept. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579193/. 

Govers, Francis X. “MIT Researchers Augment Humans with Extra Robotic Arms.” New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 May 2015, newatlas.com/mit-supernumerary-robotic-arms/32793/. 


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