Blog 4: Can Robots be Creative?

A couple of weeks ago, Emily, Gabi and I went to a temporary exhibit at the Grand Palais called Artists and Robots. The first room of the exhibit showed a number of line-heavy art pieces, one of which was still being done by three small robots. Each robot had different movement patterns: one that spun repetitively in a small circle, one that raced straight across the paper and one that moved in random jagged movements. While these pieces were more mechanic, there were other robots drawing softer, realistic pieces of animals and people. There was even realist painting of a waterfall scene (see below). Not only were the robots able to mimic human-like artistic style, but they were also able to create pieces unique to their abilities. After the first room, displays went beyond basic robots. Computer-generated “movies” of moving numbers, code and words produced scenes of beautiful movement, giving me the same sense of reflectiveness that I would have looking at a human-made art piece.

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A trip to the Louvre may not be the same for you and me

In the USA and in most of the western hemisphere, appreciation for art is fading. However, in Paris, and in Europe in general, art is still greatly valued, so much that people, museums and careers all revolve around some form of art. As someone who has painted since she can remember, and has had art for all of her upbringing, coming to Europe has truly been refreshing. I have visited the Louvre, Grand Palais, Versailles, Musée de Art and Métiers, Musée de l’homme…you name it!

When the museum we want to visit is outside the scope of the class, me and my friends often struggle to agree on which museum to go to. We all have different preferences: some enjoy the very old historical art, some enjoy impressionism, and others enjoy more modern art such as Centre Pompidou. Although I like every forms of art, I find it interesting how I have different experiences with the distinct pieces. These observations became the clearest when I went to the Louvre with a group of friends. Here, we had trouble finding ourselves because in such a big museum, everyone wanted to go watch a different section. I wanted to go straight to the Mona Lisa, while my friend Gen wanted to visit a completely different wing.

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Chateau de Chenonceau

Chateau de Chenonceau is one of the many chateaus located in the Loire Valley. The chateau spans the River Cher near a village called Chenonceau. In 1514-1522, the chateau initially was built upon the foundations of an old mill and later stretched the River  Cher. The Chateau belonged to many French families, beginning with the Marques family to the royal family and their mistresses. With each new inhabitant, more adjuncts, gardens, and bridges were added until it became the chateau that stands today. One notable owner was Diane de Poitiers, who built a bridge to attach the chateau to the opposite side of the river and designed the flower, vegetable, and fruit gardens. Another major contributor to Chateau de Chenonceau is Catherine de’ Medici who added more gardens to decorate the perimeter of the chateau as well as rooms within the chateau’s walls. Catherine had many grand parties there, including one with the first firework show ever. The chateau was reflective of not only the wealth that France’s elites possessed, but also the architectural magnificence and intellect that humans were capable of. We are able to think up and create these structures that outlive us in longevity and tower over us in size because of our brain’s ability of creativity.

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The telegraph exhibit!

We visited the Musee Arts et Metiers. This museum was an industrial design museum, which was why I was confused as to why we visited this museum as a class as I didn’t think it related to NBB. However, after thinking about the technological advances that have happened, I came to the realization that this visit really did relate to neuroscience and behavioral biology. With the invention of the telegraph, people no longer had to travel far distances to just hear a loved one’s voice. Business flourished because there was less of a necessity to meet in person. In addition, innovations in travel such as the development of the high speed rail allowed for people to meet people in person. The invention of cell and smart phones have changed people’s behaviors drastically, as some people, including me, can stay at home all day and still feel connected.

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One of the first polygraphs

We visited the Musee d’Histoire de la Medicine. This museum was really interesting and provided a pretty comprehensive overview of how medicine originated and the tools that were used to help people. What was really surprising was that many of these tools resemble the tools that many surgeons use today. This visit relates to the NBB course because tools used for medicine and neuroscience were housed in this museum. In addition, one of the first polygraphs is in this museum. This machine measures external behaviors such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity to indicate the inner thoughts of a person. This is very cool because it relates directly to Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology.

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Students in front of the Rothschild’s tomb!

We visited Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise. This is one of the most famous cemeteries in all of France, which house the tombs of famous painters like Jacques Louis David to neuroscientists such as Proust. We visited Rothschild’s tomb, who was a prominent banker. Today, the Rothschild family is rumored to be the richest family in the world, with enough financial resources to influence elections to the stock market. So how do the Rothschilds relate to NBB? They have their own Neurology and Neurosurgery department, and have made significant contributions in the neuroscience field. They may be the richest family int he world, but who said rich people are all selfish and limit their contributions to the sciences?

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Skulls of a variety of animals

We visited the Musee Fragonard at the Ecole Veterinaire d’Alfort in the first week of the program. The museum had a variety of anatomical oddities that were preserved as well as skeletons of different organisms throughout different periods of time. This visit is significant for recognizing the differences we have with our ancestors as well as the potential for mutations and defects that results in something extraordinary, such as mermaids and cyclops. This is important to our NBB class because the differences in skull sizes allows for us to see how our cognitive prowess originated as well as provide inferences for our behavior. 

 

Neurosyphilis and its precursors

This week I had the amazing opportunity of visiting the Musee de Moulage! The museum houses a collection of different dermatological illnesses and diseases. As I walked across the museum, I was amazed by the intricate casts that delineated the different conditions doctors had come across during their career. While many of the casts were grotesque, I realized that they served an important role—educating future generations of dermatologists. The elaborate 3D sculptures of faces, limbs, bodies, and genitalia gave future doctors an ability to recognize rare, dangerous infections that patients might present with. While I was unfamiliar with most of the dermatological diseases presented in the museum one caught my eye: Syphilis.

Image 1: Entering the Musee de Moulage.

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The Eiffel and the Brain

Figure 1. Eiffel Tower from the first day hereIn the first four days I have been in Paris, I had seen the Eiffel Tower four times. Even as a person from the state of Texas who was born in Canada and spent much of his early life in China studying in Georgia (I guess I am a globetrotter) and has no idea of how a Parisian lives, I could see how Parisians got tired of the Eiffel Tower real quick. After these first four days, whenever a friend exclaimed that the Eiffel Tower was in sight, I found myself muttering “so what”. I was tired of the Eiffel, and could not see any reason why tourists found it so beautiful and a “must-see” attraction. Continue reading “The Eiffel and the Brain”

Love and Neuroscience

Last Friday, our NBB class visited the Loire Valley to both explore the landscape just 2 hours outside of Paris and to see some extravagant chateaus. In fact, on the ride over to the Loire Valley, Dr. Easterling was telling the class about the history of French kings and how the kings moved from place to place, reshaping the stories of the chateaus in which they resided.

I was determined to explore the gardens and rooms of the chateaus and relate them back to the history. During the visit to Loire Valley, I was specifically drawn to the Chateau du Chenonceau.

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