Week 7: Psychology and Art

The connection between different kinds of consciousness and art is fascinating. Being an English major, I can recall different pieces of literature that examine or utilize different forms of psychology and consciousness. For example, William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies uses characters that personify different forms of consciousness as defined by Sigmund Freud, whom Professor touched on in Lecture II.

 Divided in to the conscious, unconscious, id, and super ego, Freud argues that there are different levels at which the human mind functions. In The Lord of the Flies, Piggy acts as the conscious mind, constantly in touch with his emotions and those around him. He seeks to please and be liked, and is the most relatable and empathetic character in the novel.  On the other hand, Jack is the personification of the id, one who is completely animal like and acts outside of normal society. Jack murders Piggy in a vicious and  horrific way, making him the villain of the novel. He is the one whom the audience does not want to relate with because of the uncomfortable notion of being more animalistic than human in a societal setting. It’s interesting how different psychological conditions can be portrayed through art.

Sources:

https://youtu.be/TFv4owX3MZo

https://youtu.be/E5EX75xoBJ0

Golding, William, and Edmund L. Epstein. Lord of the Flies: A Novel. New York: Perigee, 1954. Golding, William, and Edmund L. Epstein.

Week 6: Biotechnology

According to the Biotechnology Industry Organization, “biotechnology is technology based on biology - biotechnology harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet”. The most common form of biotechnology in the modern era would be the use of genetically modified plants and animals, specifically for human consumption.

There are different viewpoints on whether or not GMO’s and other genetically modified foods or animals are ethical. In the pro-biotechnology article Healing, Fueling, Feeding: How Biotechnology Is Enriching Your Life, they state that “more than 13.3 million farmers around the world use agricultural biotechnology to increase yields, prevent damage from insects and pests and reduce farming’s impact on the environment”. The subsequent backlash of GMO’s by the public and other groups has forced the USDA to create the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21). One of the most pronounced areas where the AC21 committee has focused most of their attention is on “how farmers who produce different crops intended for different customers-biotechnology-derived, conventional, or organic-can best co-exist and produce the crops that meet their customers' needs” (USDA.gov).

While the main concern in the beginning part of my blog post is the use of biotechnology, there seems to be a fad on biotechnology in the media as it has been commercialized. The latest example of this is the continuance of the Jurassic Park series. Jurassic Park (dir. Spielberg, 1993) follows scientists who have created genetically modified dinosaurs that inhabit a theme park. This use of biotechnology is key to the premise, originally created by author Stephen King, and has allowed for the continuing conversation of whether or not biotechnology is ethical or moral. The latest installment of the Jurassic Park is the creation of Jurassic World, which is set to premiere in June 2015, and follows the same premise of genetic modification of animals in order for human entertainment.

Sources:

https://www.bio.org/articles/what-biotechnology

https://www.bio.org/articles/healing-fueling-feeding-how-biotechnology-enriching-your-life

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=BIOTECH

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/