 Image article link: https://www.chemistryworld.com/feature/welcome-to-the-machine/1012453.article Titilating news, space elevators and molecular elevators are in our future. Definitely molecular elevators since the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to three chemists, and J. Fraser Stoddart was the one who developed the molecular creation of a minuscule elevator. Maybe at some point there will be medical uses that require a molecular elevator to move through the body for some slow reacting drug. I have no idea really, but it sounds amazingly futuristic. (LA Times LINK; Nanotech LINK) Imagine organic computers made of molecules. Moleculartechnology...would everything be liquified? I'm trying to remember all those inorganic/organic chemistry and toxicology classes I took, but it's foggy. Could a super minuscule molecule....I don't think my imagination can stretch that far yet. Oh wow, then imagine we all had the ability to see more colors like the daughters of colorblind dad's who may carry 4 cones vs. 3 cones. Super vision ability. (Discover Magazine LINK) ; NY Mag LINK) I am trying to think out of the box as I read these scientific discoveries. What are the future applications? What would a molecular elevator even look like? What new colors of paint could be made? I wonder if this news is inspiring Science/Speculative Fiction writers? Wow.  Image article link: http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/02/what-like-see-a-hundred-million-colors.html
Artwork that accompanies genetic themed articles can be informative---seems the helix is a staple but sometimes there is an implied message.
Though it's the article text that fascinates me. I read how DNA is employed in art verification, artistic pieces, seafood confirmation, crime detection, data storage, and maybe even biocomputers in the future (Atlantic Magazine). Possibly we will each have a bar code reader app similar to what we have now, but it will be used for DNA barcode reading. I'll know if that fish in a store or restaurant in the actual fish species. Or what if this was used on people. It's like that movie "The Perfect 46" where people divorced and avoided dating people who had DNA that could lead to genetic mutations in offspring or some other incompatibility. And then the story took a darker turn, suggesting there were errors in the computation. Maybe relying on BIG DATA algorithms isn't so perfect. Even so, I do like having knowledge of what seems to be sci-fi ideas. Then again, maybe knowing that an Olympic athlete has a gene that increases red blood cells and oxygen intake might be discouraging for other athletes who don't possess the genetic makeup. I guess for every invention, piece of knowledge, there can be pros and cons. I'm having this feeling about the new iPhone 7 wireless ear buds. By removing the 3.5 headphone jack, and pumping up a better stereo audio, will I now have to hear even louder speaker phone conversations because people haven't charged their ear buds, lost them, or don't have them with them. Will everyone now have to upgrade and spend more money? It's a increase in revenue for companies, and yes it's probably good to upgrade for better tech, but I get tired of this cycle. I have a cemetery cabinet of tech things, all of which distracted me and maybe didn't always make my life better. Yet I continue to be sucked in cause my computer stops working, hard drives die, and my phone slows, so I have no choice but to play into this never ending consumer tech game. Plus I guess like everyone, I'm in search for new equipment and knowledge to make life better, though I wonder when does it become clear that some tech isn't providing a higher quality of life. References for text/images: "The Genes Superhero" by Maria Konnikova, The California Sunday Magazine, 2016 July/August "Fun with DNA" by Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 2016 September "The World’s Most Expensive Medicine is a bust" by Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review, May 5 , 2016 “An online store for information about your genes will make it cheap and easy to learn more about your health risks and predispositions” by Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review, 2016  Beer coasters and California microbrews are amazing. I have to drink a lot of Monkish for these. I actually want to make genetically engineered artwork on coasters but instead I find myself drawing more green people fighters. Though I think these will be good friend gifts as art with fun fortune-telling functionality. I'm lucky to have some of these little green people displayed at La Luz de Jesus Gallery/Soap Plant WACKO cool pop surrealist shoppe soon.
Thinking of all those funny Gene Wilder movies today. Still hilarious. Wish he made more. Hooked on phonics—- nah AUDIBLE's app. I was pushed to explore new audio sounds since I could not take anymore repeat news on BBC and KCRW radio. I like Pandora music but I need more stimulation and audio books are great to paint to. No library tapes/cds, just an app, free for at least 90 days. I cut my XM radio boombox subscription a few months ago, but I might pay for this book service. I’ve listened to Harvard Professor Michael Puett discuss ideology of Chinese philosophers Confucius (551 BC), Laozi (531BC), and Mencius (372 BC). Is soft power good or bad, is wu wei, non action something to explore more, self reflection is it just advanced navel gazing? I guess I just don't know, still processing it in my little head chip. And I downloaded for 1 free credit Margaret Atwood's book, Oryx and Crake. Her book explores genetic science implications. In the book, strange hybrids, like pigoons, are pigs raised to grow replacement organs for humans. I haven’t made it far into the book but I was curious about it after reading NIH lifted the research funding ban on human/animal embryo genetic research. Now we have the potential for real live mythical chimeras. Should I be scared of genetic engineering... nah, not yet. Might have to think more about the look of genetic engineering in the future. A few NPR and MIT articles recently discussed part human part animal embryo studies.  Photo Credit:
Pablo Ross of the University of California, Davis, inserts human stem cells into a pig embryo as part of experiments to create chimeric embryos. -Rob Stein/NPR  Broken arm technology is so not vintage white paper mache looking anymore. ARTICLE and adjacent image reveal a meshy android like arm. I guess I'll need to change my images of broken limbs to reflect new tech.
 Picture of my tv for a future drawing. Lots of buttons, lights, and switches have a good sci-fi look, but really this is past technology so maybe I should rethink this. I still love the look.
If only optogenetics for chronic pain were possible now, I would love to receive the benefits of pain neurons being turned off with just a light. A Harvard article discusses how researchers inhibit the perception of pain in genetically modified mice. Next level, humans, ooh that could be scary or not. My science fiction mind always leads me to the more skeptical paranoid path. Anyway, the article suggests that possibly they could inject humans with a virus packaged with the genetic material to create the "light responsive proteins called opsins" and then these opsins "could selectively turn neuronal activity on or off with a flash of light" which means in my hands I could have a flashlight, Dr. Who-ish tool, that would shut the pain machine down. Attempting to improve my magical thinking abilities I guess. It's nice to hope. Since I'm in the hopeful mood, I'm crafting Rune art on beer coasters. I've had a bit of a fascination with them since the 1990s and now I've combined them with QRcode generation.
 More from last blog: I just read this today, "23andMe sells Data for Drug Search" and it got me thinking how helpful DNA knowledge can be. I know it sounds like the typical line, personal info sold for a profit by a company again, but what if this research could assist in customizing medicines to a patient and be more effective. I really wish everyone had more access to DNA testing. FDA won't allow the same comprehensive disease information for 23andme customers that I received pre 2013, yet it's a more affordable DNA test and still provides results for 36 genes for inherited diseases. I did have another DNA test done by my pain management doctor but the bill was insanely high; so Sorenson Genomics has my swab but won't do testing without the money paid for it. Can you believe the pricing..  I'm a little off track here with my art ideas in this entry, but who knows, maybe it will be part of some art project in the future.
 It all started with MIT Technology Review.com and now I'm hooked on all these science newsletters. This picture next door is from an article about a lickable game controller. A 3D game controller molded for various flavored icy pops is then licked to control the monster in the "Planet Licker" game. Maybe not reproducible in mass numbers and possibly unhygienic and messy, but still very cool.
Some things can seem silly and pointless but sometimes it can lead to amazing creations. I'm trying to get to that point with my ideas and art. But for now it's just reading about inventive work of others. *So fascinated by genetic testing; the CRISPR DNA editing equipment; DNA tests for personalized cancer treatment, etc. Why isn't more DNA testing paid by insurance companies. I bought the 23 and me genetic testing kit when they still tested for 100s of diseases and not just ancestry, and it provided an extensive listing of health related facts about me. Couldn't they use DNA testing to determine what drugs work on a patient versus making people suffer through side effects and non effective treatments? Anyway, I'm thinking about various scientific inquiries and inventions and wondering how can I create more meaningful art. I use to make polarized art on a makeshift microscope. All these rainbow colors of rocks, vegetables, and other materials, but I didn't do anything with the images. It's tiring creating and then realizing okay now what. I even use to think if I code with processing, open frameworks, max/jitter, or work with arduino and other electronics, then my work would be innovative and it would show I'm a badass tech girl. Although I can half ass code and solder, and play techy, it's all too expensive, time consuming, and physically difficult. I need to think more about what I can do though I do love the tech stuff....  I wonder what "real" artist do?
It seems that they make series. That's what I read in my research. That's why I now have this website, an art bio, and lots of series work. I just wonder a lot. Why do some people have gallery shows, why is some art worthy of museums, others not so. I think its context, history, and public opinion that makes certain art valued. Technique?? I browse the California Arts Council site, Artillery Magazine, Juxtapoz Magazine, and artists' sites, yet I still don't know the magic formula that makes some artists special. I know what I like, such as David Hockney's colorful artwork and his experimentation with different technologies, but why did he get the green light. Everyone wants to write about him, have his artwork, I do. I'm sure other people with equally great art have been overlooked. So maybe it's basically doing the work and luck that is the magic formula for art appreciation. Initially I was only adding this pic of work I've done. Then somehow I was sidetracked by my mind. This is a pic of my green themed series (back picture). The plan is paint green things that have meaning. Still not sure if this is going anywhere. Also, I hand-sewed together big balls (front picture) of recycled materials from my clothes and crafting cloth. I ordered a lot of arcade buttons that I soldered to micro controllers pre back surgery 4. Now, ten balls later, I have them cussing when the button is pressed. That's just my recent audio cause cute things doing bad things can be funny. Plus I find cussing oddly cathartic when I'm in pain.  Love the easy access to live talks. Saves the back. I listened to the speakers at the Art and Olfactory event and snapped pictures off the screen. Totally inspired by Jacquelyn Ford Morie's talk about a scent collar used in VR experiences. Can't believe their patents haven't created a big market for these, but then again so many smells, how to package them all. Obviously hard to package natural smells, but that's where the synthetic, molecule derived smell science can really help. The future of smell vacations is in the horizon. Then there was Dr. Avery Gilbert who seemed to have a lot of experience and appreciation for the sensory craft art movement in Colorado. He spoke about weed, microbrews, crap, and body odor. Who wouldn't love a talk on that. Understated funny interesting perspective. Also, Chandler Burr, an in your face intense speaker, explained smells from an art history approach. He said things like it's "rough, like a fist in the face" and freely sprinkled the word "fuck" here and there in his talk.. It was great and unexpected. Definitely a contrast to the sweet talking British woman Lizzie Ostrom who talked about what I think was wearing perfume and pulling, then the bizarre hijinks of perfume in the early 1900's of scented snow dropped from a plane, perfume bank checks, and scented bubble machines. SO GLAD I watched these talks - SCIENCE, ART, TECHNOLOGY and personalities.   The Institute for Art and Olfaction has always fascinated me but I've never been. THIS weekend at the Hammer, live online broadcasts of their event. LINK Love that stuff, and that's the reason why I buy way too many books like "The Smell Culture Reader", "The Taste Culture Reader: Experiencing Food and Drink", and books by Marti Guixe´ and Marije Vogelzang. And it all started with Diane Ackerman's "A Natural History of the Senses" and an interest in synesthesia cause it's all too strange and interesting. I still can't forget reading about the amazing smell of Abyssinian cat ball sweat, actually it was said a little different, but that image stuck. So yeah I know it's not really a cat, but more mongoose looking animal and the sweaty excretion is really from its ass adjacent, But cat ball sweat, what an unforgettable image in a young mind. And then that book "Perfume" just took it to another twisted level. So why I'm mentioning this is because I have an idea for smell o vision/ scratch and sniff project. I can't do anything yet, but I did buy some things to experiment, we'll see how it goes.  Soldered buttons to micro controller but speaker echoes in the casing. Too much bare wire still exposed so I might cover the plexiglass in furry material.   This is just one of my progress pics. I have soldered the buttons and wired it, but I'm in the desert without my new pics.  To make my festival dogs more interesting, I'm working on transforming old rotary phones into a communication system that talks about the festivals. I'm wiring in a microcontroller, speakers, and buttons in the phones. When a button is pushed, a brief audio clip provides information about the festival event, costume, or foodways. Probably will have dog barks too.
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