Week 4: Not Feeling Chipper

  I am familiar with the “biomedical animations that explore the human body” in the Body Code art installation (1). As a Biochemistry major, I have seen many models of mechanisms that help keep the body alive. 

(1)

Being pre-health as well makes me familiar with the usage of MRIs, but until Didou, I have never heard of them being used for art. It was interesting to learn how the MRI “allows the subject to create images and experience acoustic hallucinations,” letting the subject create art through their existence (2). 

Snelson’s sculptures where “compression-bearing rigid struts stretch…tension-bearing members” while the latter compress the former, makes me remember the function of the cytoskeleton, and other cell structures being drilled into my head in high school biology (3). 

Reading about Mission Eternity’s objective to “...process human remains forever” struck me as bizarre and creepy, but I think it would be nice for the loved ones of those facing mortality (4). I would worry they would not be able to properly move on, but it is very intriguing that in our lifetime we are able to see the various uses of technology.

I remember reading an article about body chips and thinking that was so impractical. While Warwick’s chips seem cool because they “...unlock his office doors, turn on his lights and heaters,” there are more considerations to think of rather than benefits (5). Imagine telling your friends you can’t swim with them because you don’t want to be accidentally electrocuted by a surgically implanted chip. Also, we are talking about the uses of technology on human health; imagine being biohacked by someone who now can access your data. That would leave a chip on my shoulder. 

(5)

  1. “Body Code | WEHI.” WEHI, 10 Oct. 2023. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

  2. Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts.” Configurations, 2011.

  3. Ingher, Donald. “The Architecture of Life.” Scientific American, 1997.

  4. www.missioneternity.org. “MISSION ETERNITY / SUMMARY.” Missioneternity.org, 2024. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

  5. ‌Seo, Hannah. “Your Body, Hacked - Scienceline.” Scienceline, 14 Dec. 2019, scienceline.org/2019/12/biohacking/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Comments

  1. Sherry TangApril 24, 2024 at 7:38 PM

    Hi Jacqueline !
    Similar to your familiarity towards MRIs, I also learned a lot about the technique in school as I major in Psychology. It was fascinating to look at this imaging technology with another perspective to admire the beauty it delivers to our world. I totally agree with your perspective that this chapter brought us with a new way to view sculptures and the beauty and flexibility of the human body.

    ReplyDelete
  2. jaelinchenDESMA9April 26, 2024 at 5:33 PM

    Hi Jacqueline! You bring up a really interesting perspective regarding preserving human remains forever. I agree with you that it might prevent people from properly moving on! There are many psychology cases where grief is all consuming to the point of delusion and I also worry that this would just be another tool to aid them. Great pun at the end as well! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tristan NgoApril 28, 2024 at 6:39 PM

    Hi Jacqueline!
    I agree with your statement regarding Mission Eternity's objective to, “process human remains forever,” I feel like as long as those remains stay around, it will be a constant reminder to the family of the person that once existed but now is simply an empty shell. Moreover, I share your skepticism regarding body chips, as there is no telling the life threatening consequences of one, should they short circuit or malfunction. That is a dangerous prospect that I wouldn’t want to face.

    ReplyDelete

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