Week 4: Medicine and Technology and Art

This week’s lectures are my favorite so far because I am interested in the field of medicine. In the second lecture, Professor Vesna gave an example of the MRI machine and x-rays as being a form of art (Vesna). I agree with this viewpoint, and am fascinated by how these machines work. To start, MRIs use electromagnetic waves and magnets to produce cross sections of your body (Mayo Clinic). This can be used to check form abnormalities inside the body, like the brain.


“Neurological MRI: Sagittal View.” Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for Brain Tumours, SickKids, https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=1334&language=english.

I personally have experience being in an MRI machine, and it’s a pretty funky experience. You’re instructed to take off any metal from your body to make sure it does not influence any of the magnets, and then inserted into a white tube. If you’re in the pediatric side of the hospital, there might even be headphones they give you to listen to music and cover up the blaring sounds (Aguilar). Sometimes the hospital may even have goggles for you to watch a movie with (I recommend The Greatest Showman). Then, when the technician is taking the scans, you hear really loud beeping and screeching sounds. You can actually feel the wind of the MRI machine too, as it rotates quickly around you.


How Stanford Research Is Making MRI Scans Safer for Children, Stanford Medicine, https://med.stanford.edu/communitynews/2018fall/how-stanford-research-is-making-mri-scans-safer-for-children.html.

When thinking about x-rays, these scans are similar to MRI scans since it also uses electromagnetic radiation, but it is much quicker (National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering). These are much more common than MRIs and often used to look at bones and other tissues inside the body, on a more general level.

Newman, Tim. What to Know about X-Rays, MedicalNewsToday, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219970#what-are-x-rays.

Although I’ve discussed using electromagnetic radiation in medicine, this spectrum can be used as art too. We can take an example of a natural phenomenon, known as auroras, that form from electromagnetic waves in the sky (Bendix). This produces a spectacular spectrum of light and colors, leaving many people, including myself, in awe.


Remple, Aidan. The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) Explained, Worldatlas.com, 12 Apr. 2022, https://www.worldatlas.com/space/the-northern-lights-explained.html.


Works Cited


Aguilar, Mario. “‘A Mini-Engineering Feat’: High-Tech Headphones Drown out the Scary Noises inside an MRI'a Mini-Engineering Feat': High-Tech Headphones Drown out the Scary Noises inside an MRI.” STAT, Boston Globe Life Sciences Media, 30 July 2021, https://www.statnews.com/2021/08/02/audeze-mri-noise-cancelling-headphones/. 

Bendix, Aria. “Scientists Have Solved a Decades-Old Mystery about How Auroras Form in the Sky.” Business Insider, Insider Inc., 9 June 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/northern-lights-aurora-origin-electrons-waves-2021-6#:~:text=Scientists%20have%20confirmed%20for%20the,brilliant%20light%20show%20%E2%80%94%20the%20aurora. 

“MRI.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 4 Sept. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mri/about/pac-20384768#:~:text=An%20MRI%20machine%20uses%20a,to%20help%20capture%20the%20images. 

Vesna, Victoria, director. Human Body and Medical Technologies Part 2. 4-Medicine-pt2.Mov from Art|Sci Center on Vimeo, https://player.vimeo.com/video/700588919?h=e8bbafd223%5C. Accessed 18 Apr. 2022. 

“X-Rays.” National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/science-topics/x-rays#:~:text=X%2Drays%20are%20a%20form,and%20structures%20inside%20the%20body.





Comments

  1. caseyfinebergdesma9April 19, 2022 at 3:22 PM

    Hi Vivek! I love how you tied in electromagnetic waves from the medical world to the natural world. It really goes to show how much medicine and technology is influenced by what already naturally occurs in the universe. I have also done an MRI myself, and I agree that it is not a fun experience. However, after learning about how intricate and advanced the technology is to get MRI scans, I can appreciate the tool on a greater level. Thanks for sharing your views on art in the MedTech world!

    ReplyDelete
  2. mayasrinivasanDESMA9April 19, 2022 at 9:00 PM

    Hi Vivek,

    Your post was really insightful! I liked how you incorporated your own experience with medical technologies and explained the process thoroughly. Although I've never undergone an MRI, you made the entire concept seem less scary than I previously thought. I also liked how you made a comparison of the natural world and MRI technologies. The occurrence of electromagnetic waves in the Northern Lights is truly amazing, and to see that these same waves are used for medical purposes was eye-opening. I wonder what other med-tech advancements will be made in the coming years that also utilize natural properties.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Paravi DasApril 20, 2022 at 7:16 PM

    Hi Vivek! I really enjoyed your post - especially the recommendation about “The Greatest Showman”, which I wholeheartedly agree with. Having gone through the MRI process myself, I can confirm your findings - I’ve always been fascinated by the reasoning behind how medical technologies like this work, and would’ve never guessed that “electromagnetic waves and magnets to produce cross sections” of our bodies. I wonder if artists who use MedTech, as we discussed this week, understand the inner workings to the extent that doctors do when using this technology in their craft? Would they be able to answer the question when asked how an MRI scans our brains and bodies?
    I also loved your observation on auroras, I never knew the scientific explanation for the beautiful lights, and definitely walked away from this discussion post with new knowledge. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alexandra ChanApril 21, 2022 at 6:54 PM

    Hi Vivek,
    I appreciate your post, and the addition of your personal experience in how it relates to this week's topic. You clearly explained the process and experience of being in an MRI machine, and also I thought the touch of the Northern Lights was an interesting addition to the post. I never viewed the northern lights as an art installation relating to waves before, and it was a great way to tie together this week's blog post.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Chayanne_Melwood_Desma9April 24, 2022 at 8:02 AM

    Hi Vivek!
    I really enjoyed this week content as well, by far one of my favorites. I like how you incorporated your own experience as well as went into great detail about an MRI and the process for people who may not have experienced having an MRI done. Also the image of the Northern lights is beautiful and I too would consider it art. This week's content has made me realize art is really everywhere its all about ones perspective.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousApril 24, 2022 at 11:59 PM

    Hey Vivek, I really enjoyed your take on the content this week and the way that you analyzed the experience of going through the process of an MRI and how it personally felt to you as someone who experienced this. Additionally, the image of the Northern lights you included was extremely vibrant and established a good point of what we do and don't consider to be art within this society. Overall, it is really up to the perspective of the viewer.

    ReplyDelete

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