DESMA 9 Blog Summary

DESMA 9 Week 6

Biotechnology has always been an extremely controversial field, especially since the damning documentary entitled “The World According to Monsanto” which highlighted the dangers of using biotechnology. One example of biotechnology gone wrong would be the genetically modified(GMO) wheat, produced by Monsanto. The “super crop” is now a pest in many farms in the United States, since its genetically modified resistance makes the plant hard to kill. Another example would be the bovine growth hormone which Monsanto injected into cows to increase milk production. Unfortunately, this resulted in horrific side effects, like pus growing in the udders of cows. Said pus is then found in the milk produced by the cows. More importantly, due to the udders becoming more susceptible to infection, cows injected with the hormone end up dying. Given the above, it was interesting and yet deeply disturbing for me to learn that artists are dabbling into biotechnology. Side effect of the growth hormon...

DESMA 9 Week 8

The first time I learned about nanotechnology was in Secondary 2, the Grade 8 equivalent in the British system. I was intrigued to learn that elements have different properties at nanoscopic levels. Serendipitously, it also answered my question regarding waterless urinals, since those work due to nanoscopic particles coating the urinal surface which bond to urea. Hence, this week’s lecture served more as a reminder than an introduction into the fascinating world of nanoparticles. Electron Microscope Image of Carbon Monoxide Nevertheless, Professor Vesna’s lecture reminded me of pictures from an electron microscope, specifically, the “Quantum Corrals” which, true to its similar namesake, looked like sea corals. The initial image produced from the tunnelling electron microscope is black and white. Color is then added via computer programs to made the image more intuitive. While that fact might be easily glossed over, it also serves as an example of how art coexist and even ben...

DESMA 9 Week 3

Growing up, I developed an interest in robots. To me they were smart, immortal, and efficient beings capable of great feats of strength and intelligence. Movies such as The Iron Giant, and the entire Star Wars franchise further reinforced my perception of robots. This love for robotics lead me to read books written by the great science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke. Arthur C. Clarke's Most Iconic Work Hence, I was unsurprised to learn that the modern concept for robots was inspired by a play written by a Czech writer, Karel Capek. In many ways, Sir Clarke had a similar impact on the scientific world as Mr Capek. An apt example would be the artificial intelligence computer named HAL 9000, in Sir Clarke’s book entitled “2001: A Space Odyssey”. In the book and the similarly named movie, HAL 9000 is an on-board computer for a spacecraft, responsible for maintaining ship functions and to act as a companion for human crew. However, due to a series of events, HAL malfunction...

ZhenSDESMA9

Search This Blog