Week 4: Medicine+Technology+Art

  "I will pass over the other arts in silence and direct my words for a while to that which is responsible for the health of mankind; certainly of all the arts that human genius has discovered, this is by far the most useful, indispensable, difficult, and laborious." - (Andreas Vesalius, De Humani Corporus Fabrica)

  Vesalius, the Founder of Human Anatomy, revolutionized the science of medicine. He was the first to provide an accurate description of the internal structures of the human body (Vesna, Pt 1). It marked the beginning of an art that not only beautifies the human body but also helps improve lives. The technological advances of medicine has led to miraculous amounts of lives saved. Those people with disabilities inspire or even have a great impact in society.

  A notable example is Stephen Hawkings. At the age of 21, while studying cosmology at the University of Cambridge, Stephen Hawkings was diagnosed with amyotrophic sclerosis. Although he was given a life of expectancy of 2 years, Hawkings continued his studies and has done groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology and his books have helped to make science more accessible to everyone (Bio.com). 

Stephen Hawkings

  Hawkings paralysis eventually left him with slurred speech along with other disabilities. However with the invention of the speech-generating device, Hawkings was eventually able to direct the program through a cheek muscle attached to a sensor (Bio.com). This technology in a sense is an artwork that allows someone with a disability to communicate. Thanks to the improvements in medicine and technology, many people with disabilities are less inhibited. For Hawkings, he was able to contribute a vast amount of knowledge to the scientific community.

Stephen Hawkings in the Simpsons

  Through his struggle and persistence, Hawkings has also inspired others in many ways; TV shows and movies have included or referenced him such as the Simpsons, Futurama, The Big Bang Theory and etc. London's Science Museum even collaborated with him and an artist, David Hockney (Science Museum). Hawkings' reverence is an inspration to all and has influenced many artworks as well. 

Citations:

"10 times Stephen Hawking Met Pop Culture." ABC News. N.p., 09 Oct. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

"Andreas Vesalius." And the Modern Human Anatomy. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

"Science Meets Art: Hawking and Hockney United in One Culture." - Science Museum. N.p., n.d.     Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

"Stephen Hawking Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk