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Comparisons of planets in our solar system This week’s topic of space has been one of my favorite topics thus far. Space has always fascinated me because we know of its existence, but we can’t just visit it and experience it for ourselves. Less than one percent of the human population can say that they have visited space, yet we know quite a lot about it. The most fascinating part is that while it seems like we have a lot of information on space and its content, we probably only know half of what is truly out there. Because of space exploration and advancements in technology, we are better able to understand what is beyond our atmosphere and in our galaxy. Photograph taken by Voyager 1 of Earth The powers of ten video emphasized the scale of our galaxy and how microscopic humans really are. The picture that inspired Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot also puts into perspective how small we are and how massive space is. The photograph was taken from Voyager 1 on February 1

Display of asteroids and meteorites For the second event, I went to the Meteorite Gallery in the Geology building. I have visited the gallery before when I took an Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences so it was familiar to me. The idea of space has always fascinated me so seeing things from beyond our atmosphere was pretty cool. Space is vast and bigger than we can even imagine. Putting life into perspective, humans are smaller than a speck of dust in this entire galaxy. When you walk into the gallery, the first thing that you will notice are two meteorites in the middle of the room. The table with the lone meteorite is the oldest iron meteorite that UCLA has been gifted and it is from 1934. Just as it looks, the meteorite feels strong and indestructible. It is mind-blowing that such rock has come from outer space and it leaves you wondering whether it would be likely that you can get hit by this robust object. The sign next to the meteorite says that it is very unlikely that som

West side of the room For one of the events, I decided to go to the Leonard Kleinrock Internet Heritage Site in Boelter Hall. For the past four years that I have been a student at UCLA, I did not know that there was a room honoring the discovery of the internet. As a student here, it is a well-known fact that UCLA was the site where the internet was first tested, in which a message was sent to another computer program in Standford. This idea and method of sharing information between two computers revolutionized the digital world and was the catalyst for further internet development. East side of the room  The room opened in 2011 and was restored with the help of the original team. When I visited, a student in the hallway told me that you could not go inside, but you can look through the glass door. I thought it was pretty cool getting a glimpse of such a historical scene. Everything looked pristine and untouched; it is hard to believe that it was not the original scene. The r

Example of the use of nanotech in agriculture This week we learned about nanotechnology, which refers to the manipulation of the individual atoms and molecules of various things. The idea of nanotechnology emerged from a lecture given by a physicist named Richard Feynman. While the concept was new and had no name, Feynman really began the discussion of experimenting and controlling the smallest unit of life. The exploration of nanotechnology has become so popular because of its implications on various aspects of life. Conventional rules that bound the physical world do not necessarily apply in the same way when working with nanoscale particles. On the nanoscale, certain materials become lighter, stronger, and have better chemical reactivity. This revolutionary discovery has lead to new developments in art, technology, medicine, food, and so much more. Stained glass that contains nanoparticles While the practice of nanotechnology is fairly recent, nanoparticles have a

LSD Before this week’s lectures, I never gave any thought to the idea of hallucinogenic drugs as an art experience and a potential psychological cure. This week, I gained an insight into the history of mind-altering drugs and its importance in the investigation of the mind. Albert Hofmann introduced the hallucinogenic drug LSD and paved the path for its use as a cure to different psychiatric disorders. Hofmann described his experience on LSD as this vibrant and stimulating encounter, but he also experienced the dark side of it where he thought he was going insane and his reality was becoming distorted. After checking in with the doctor and seeing no physical change, he embraced the drug and began to enjoy the unique colors, shapes, and images. CIA experiments with mind control  Psychedelic drugs, like LSD, transform one’s perception and awareness. Scientists began to use it to understand schizophrenia as it enables humans to unlock parts of their mind that they

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Biotechnology The field of biotechnology has continually pushed the boundaries of what is possible, even if it crosses the line of life itself. Scientists have figured out ways to manipulate not only the genes in our body but in all other living species and in the food we eat. Biotechnology has enabled us to further understand our body and the elements around us, but it has caused an ethical debate due to the somewhat invasive and unconsented practice of it. It has essentially been about disrupting the natural order of life and trying to engineer ways to prevent the deterioration of or extend the life of some species, while also trying to produce unnatural results on different types of living things. Stelarc and his third ear When integrated with art, the biotechnology world becomes riddled with doubts from many onlookers. Stelarc is an artist who uses his own body as a canvas for his shocking projects. One of his most notable works is his body modification project in whic