Sunday, April 26, 2015

Week 4: Medicine + Technology + Art

This week's topic of Medicine, Technology, and Art was particularly interesting to me for two reasons. One being that I am a Division 1 NCAA athlete and I spend a good amount of time in doctor's offices and underneath various machines meant to assess or treat physical ailments. The second being that I am a huge fan of Grey's Anatomy and have seen every episode. Both of these have helped me build a decent knowledge of medicine and the tools used within the field. I have always believed, particularly from watching Grey's Anatomy, both that the body itself is a work of art, and that those who operate it are artists because it truly is a creative process to solve a problem within the body.
I wholeheartedly believe that medicine and medical technology are influence by art and vice versa. This week's lectures by Professor Vesna only confirmed my beliefs and provided more evidence to back them up in my mind. I particularly enjoyed learning about the timeline of improvements in the field of medical technology and the effect art played in those. Additionally, seeing the connection between last week's topic, robotics, and this week's was interesting as well as some of the medical technology we have today is so advanced it could be considered robotic in itself.
Versalius is an example of the fusion of art and the human body with his groundbreaking research on the human body's inner structure. 

 The most prominent example of medical technology is X-ray machines and MRI machines. It's been vastly important to be able to look into the structure of body, whether it is bones, ligaments, or even the brain. The X-ray "was hailed as one of mankind's greatest technological accomplishments, and invention that would revolutionize every aspect of human existence" (Dream Anatomy) and has proven itself invaluable to the medical world.
An MRI scan of the back. 

"Body Medicine Intro." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

"Medicine Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

"Medicine Pt2." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

"Medicine Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

"Dream Anatomy." U.S. Nation Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health. USA.gov, n.d. Web. 27 Oct 2013.
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2 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 27, 2015 at 2:16 PM

    Hey!
    This week made me rethink the way that I look at technology in the doctors office. Rather than just looking at the MRI or x-ray as simply a black and white display of my bones I now think of it as a piece of art. The way we perceive our bodies is revolutionized by the display of our bodies in these medtech machines and is only continuing to become more and more advanced in the future. Being a student athlete as well this week has opened my eyes to looking at art in the medical field in a whole new perspective.

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  2. UnknownApril 27, 2015 at 2:24 PM

    Madeline,

    I can relate to a lot of things you discussed in your blog. Also being an athlete, I have come across many experiences with MRI machines, CT scans, and X-rays and have developed a pretty good idea of the image of the human body. I am also a big fan of Grey's Anatomy, the TV show, and have learned many medical terms from the show. I am also a believer that the surgeries they show on the show are a work of art in itself.

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