sameerkDesma9_event3

Event 3

The event I chose to write about is the Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER). The night had a theme connected to the psychological state that is synesthesia. This state is the neurological condition in which unrelated senses are automatically and involuntarily activated due to the experience of another sense ("Synesthesia"). Appelusa, the artist who experiences synesthesia, has worked on making this condition more popular to the public eye by creating art exhibitions and performances. She shared some examples as to what types of synesthesia she experiences, such as seeing Thursday as a beige color, the week going by in a cyclic pattern while the year goes by in a linear pattern, and seeing colors around people. I was particularly interested in the last example I mentioned and found that some synesthetes visualize "auras" around people and that this ability is no advantage as researchers believe the auras observed are just what the synesthetes expect to see ("Synesthesia Could Explain How Some People See 'Auras'"). I wondered what kind of scientific research has been done on this topic as to why synesthetes experience the world differently and came across the theory made by neuroscientist David Eagleman about how some brains have "cross-activation" between neurons (Costandi). This reminded me of the lecture videos on the topic of "Neuroscience + Art." The idea of Brainbows came to mind as scientists used the art form of fluorescent proteins to distinguish between neighboring neurons. I believe a method of research could be executed through the wiring of neurons tracked using this method of investigation to observe the path the neurons take when processing information. 

Another artist who spoke during the LASER event was Daniel Krasofski, a scent artist, who works with synesthesia related smells. He mentioned that he experiences synesthesia as he associates colors with scents and that ever since he was a child, certain smells would recall past experiences. This notion of certain scents that remind oneself of a past memory is something I've experienced and remember reading about as a common phenomenon. From doing some research, I found that the part of the nose that processes scents are connected to two parts of the brain, the amygdala, and hippocampus, which are where emotions and memories are stored, respectively (Lewis). One example of how Krasofski mentioned about how he used this type of connection was in creating a smell similar to a bloody metal knife as a representation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. However, the most interesting part of his talk was when he discussed the use of electroencephalography tests on patients. This device is used to monitor electrical activity in the brain (“EEG (Electroencephalogram)”). Krasofski said the patients would smell certain scents and the electroencephalography machine would give results of brainwaves for doctors to read the brains reaction to the smells. This type of technology, combined with the art of perfumery, is a clear example of how neuroscience and art are connected.

I would recommend this event to my other classmates as this type of work is directly related to science and art with collaboration between both parties to create amazing discoveries and research about the human brain. I believe the work done by both Appelusa and Krasofski serve as models of the Victoria Vesna's "third culture" in the field of art and neuroscience.

Krasofski talking about the different scents of flowers around the world

Krasofski showing results of brainwaves from electroencephalography scans

Selfie with Daniel Krasofski

Citation:

Costandi, Mo. “Synaesthesia - Crossovers in the Senses.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 19 Nov. 2010, www.theguardian.com/science/2010/nov/19/synaesthesia-cross-overs-senses.

“EEG (Electroencephalogram).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 May 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/eeg/about/pac-20393875.

Lewis, Jordan Gaines. “Smells Ring Bells: How Smell Triggers Memories and Emotions.”Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 12 Jan. 2015, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-babble/201501/smells-ring-bells-how-smell-triggers-memories-and-emotions.

“Synesthesia Could Explain How Some People See 'Auras'.” PsyBlog, 23 Oct. 2013, www.spring.org.uk/2013/10/synesthesia-could-explain-how-some-people-see-auras.php.

“Synesthesia.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/synesthesia.