Event 4: Science 2.0 Symposium

On May 3rd, I attended the Science 2.0 Symposium and listened to the keynote lectures of Professor Victoria Vesna on “Vibrations Matter” as well as Bill Fontana’s “Acoustic Visions”. I thought these presentations were very interesting as they discussed the art and importance of sound, which is something we haven’t covered much in this class.

Presentations of the day.

Professor Vesna began her presentation with a video of a mandala of some sort, with a background of Tibetan music (according to a gentleman I was sitting next to). I thought this was quite interesting and captivating, as it brought a sound to the visuals. Professor Vesna discussed what influenced her to pursue a career in this type of art, which included the monument to Nikola Tesla as well as the Book of Changes that she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade. This encouraged her to not just do visual arts, but combine them with sound. One of the topics that interested me the most was the discussion of natural systems and their sounds, such as beehives. She also discussed the Noise Aquarium, which after hearing about, I was very interested in and decided to go check out! I think it is important to realize that sound is a part of art and plays a critical role in our lives.

The mandala video before Professor Vesna's presentation.

Next, Bill Fontana presented on Acoustical Visions. He discussed that a musical sculpture has sounds leaving from different places and form sounding a sculpture which lasts - this idea was interesting to me as I had never thought that sound could form a sculpture. Fontana touched on the state of mind he experienced when he felt musical enough to compose, and that all the sounds around him became musical. This act of listening caused music to be a state of being. Fontana then shared some sounds with us, such as the sounds of San Francisco Bay (which I was familiar with being from the Bay Area), as well as the sounds of bells in New York. I thought being able to listen to these sounds tied the presentation together well.

Bill Fontana's presentation.

I would recommend these presentations to my classmates as I thought they provided another perspective on the importance of art in our lives, but in a new dimension - sound.

Week 9: Space + Art

This week’s discussion ties together much of what we have discussed this quarter, yet takes it to another level - to space. For a better understanding of the importance of space exploration today, it is important to understand and know the history of space. The contemporary space age development began after World War II. During the Cold War, the arms race led in an increase in the development and accumulation of weapons, such as nuclear bombs, hydrogen bombs, and the ICBM (an intercontinental ballistic missile). This race in technological developments led to the period known as the Space Race, competition between the Soviet Union and the United States in spaceflight capability. The Space Race led to the launching of the satellite Sputnik I in 1957 and creation of NASA in 1958 and ever since, space exploration has been a constant.

The rocket that carried Sputnik I on the launch pad in 1957.

I thought it was very interesting how animals were the first to go into space, and the Space Dog named Laika. She was the first living creature to orbit the earth, and although she died in orbit (which made me sad!), Laika offered proof that space was livable. Chimpanzees and other types of monkeys began to be trained to go to space, so that scientists could learn the effects of space travel. Chimpanzees were even trained to carry out tasks on the space ships, which I thought was very impressive.

The Space Dog, named Laika, in her space capsule.

One other area that interested me was the Leonardo Space Art Project Working Group, as I thought this group really encapsulated the teachings of the class and the relationship between art and space. This group is an assembly of individuals who work to explore and promote the cultural dimensions of space activities. They suggest that the space age is possible because of the cultural imagination of artists, as the artists embody the dreams of humankind and make these dreams desirable for engineers to explore. It is crucial to continue to explore space, and even offers a potential solution to the survival and prosperity of humans. The space age depends on the exchange between artists and scientists, and I think space is such an interesting topic to explore and learn about.

Space exploration.

References:

Dent, Harry. “Space Exploration and Travel: Is It Crazy... or Inevitable?” InvestorPlace, 7 Aug. 2017, investorplace.com/2017/08/space-exploration-travel-crazy-or-inevitable-ggsyn/.

Latson, Jennifer. “Laika the Cosmonaut Dog: USSR Sends First Living Creature into Orbit.” Time, Time, 3 Nov. 2014, time.com/3546215/laika-1957/.

“The Leonardo Space Art Project.” Leonardo Space Art Project, spaceart.org/leonardo/.

Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space pt2 1280x720.” YouTube, 29 July 2013, youtu.be/hLZMDpoP-u0.

Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space pt3 1280x720.” YouTube, 29 July 2013, youtu.be/4WOqt_C55Mk.

Wallace, Tim. “How Sputnik 1 Launched the Space Age.” Cosmos, 3 Oct. 2017, cosmosmagazine.com/space/how-sputnik-1-launched-the-space-age.

Event 3: Noise Aquarium

I attended the Noise Aquarium exhibit for my third event of the quarter. I was not sure what to expect when I walked in, but it was very interesting to learn about the purpose of the noise aquarium and how the exhibition worked. The Noise Aquarium is a simulation to exemplify the noise pollution that plankton and small organisms experience in the oceans. Enlarged plankton are portrayed on screen, and as the plankton moves closer to the individual, the noise becomes amplified to simulate how plankton may experience anthropogenic noise.

This is me balancing on the platform.

Although tiny, plankton are essential to the Earth’s ecosystem, not only being a primary foundation in the marine food chain but also contributing to about 70% of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere. This shows just how important and critical plankton are, yet these micro creatures may be greatly affected by noise sources. When in the Noise Aquarium, it gives you an idea of how much of an impact the participant creates with destructive visual and audio noises.

The result of someone being unbalanced - noise pollution.

The presentation of the Noise Aquarium was quite interesting, as the microscopic organisms (portrayed as large as whales) on the screen are actually real organisms that were tomographically scanned and then transformed into 3D models. I think the relationship between science and art is so prevalent in this example, as science and math were used to create the correct proportions of the creatures on the screen, yet art was crucial for the portrayal to be realistic.

One of the microscopic organisms / plankton.

When you are actually doing the presentation, you must stand on a platform and try to be perfectly balanced, as being out of balance creates underwater noises - noise pollution. Once fully balanced, the plankton becomes very large and the participant can hear whale songs, which I thought tied together the experience well. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the impact humans are having on other organisms, as it is important to be aware and concerned of our effects on Earth.

Picture of me at the Noise Aquarium.

Week 8: Nanotech + Art

Nanotechnology is a very unique topic, as when you start to consider and study nanotechnology, the laws of physics change and quantum effects dominate. The conceptual origins of nanotechnology are contributed to Richard Feynman, with his work There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom. I found it amazing that he was able to write 25,000 pages of the Encyclopedia on a pinhead, with each letter being 1 nanometer in size - this gave me an idea of just how small of things nanotechnology applies to. K. Eric Drexler was another scientist who was involved with nanotechnology, suggesting that nanotech was a deterministic, rather than stochastic, handling of individual atoms and molecules. He had a vision to engineer with these tiny atoms and molecules. Learning about its historical background allowed for me to grasp a better understanding of nanotechnology.

Richard Feynman sharing his ideas.

As a student interested in medicine, I really enjoyed the lecture on the role of nanotechnology in medicine, which is sometimes referred to as nanomedicine. The use of nanoparticles can reduce the toxicity of many cancer drugs, such as in chemotherapy, which in effect reduces the side effects of the drug. One example of a popular nanodrug is Abraxane. Additionally, with the use of quantum dots, particular types of diseases can be targeted and the variety of colors on quantum dots at the nano level can be very beneficial. Nanoshells are another tool that may be a potential factor in cancer therapy.

Nanorobots fighting an infection.

Although we can not see nanoparticles and to the naked human eye, there is nothing visible to prove they exist, nanoparticles are constantly part of our daily lives, which was interesting to me. There are many nano products on the market, especially in food and agriculture. Nanoparticles have a antimicrobial effect and therefore allow for longer-lasting food products. They also can contribute to more interactive, personalized foods, which I am curious about, since in what ways can food be personalized? Overall, I enjoyed this topic as I did not know a lot about nanotechnology and its role in society, so there was a lot for me to discover.

Cartoon suggesting dangers of nanoparticles in food.

References:

Gimzewski, James. “Nanotech Jim pt1.” YouTube, 21 May 2012, youtu.be/q7jM6-iqzzE.

Gimzewski, James. “Nanotech Jim pt4.” YouTube, 21 May 2012, youtu.be/yHCuZetAIhk.

Gimzewski, James. “Nanotech Jim pt6.” YouTube, 21 May 2012, youtu.be/oKlViSKkPd0?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7.

Kettley, Sebastian. “Nanotechnology Breakthrough: How Cell-Sized Robots Could Target Bacteria to Fight Diseases.” Express.co.uk, Express.co.uk, 31 May 2018, www.express.co.uk/news/science/967564/Nanotechnology-medicine-nanobots-research-fight-disease-superbug-bacteria-pathogens.

Rae, Ian. “No Big Deal: There Is Little to Fear from Nanoparticles in Food.” Food Beverage, www.foodmag.com.au/no-big-deal-there-is-little-to-fear-from-nanoparticles-in-food/.

Wilson, Tony. “Richard Feynman: There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom', Nanotechnology Lecture - 1959.” Speakola, Speakola, 2 Mar. 2016, speakola.com/ideas/richard-feynman-nanotechnology-lecture-1959.

Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

The brain is such an amazing organ to study, making this week’s discussion of the connection between neuroscience and art very intriguing. Before much was known about the brain, Aristotle proposed that the brain was actually the cooling system for the blood and the real thinking went on in the heart, which I thought was very interesting. As more information was discovered concerning the brain, new proposals appeared. Franz Joseph Gall founded the study of phrenology, which involves measuring the shape and bumps of one’s skull to predict mental straits. He thought the brain was divided into many different organs, each with a different function. In this way, the field of phrenology was like the ancient form of the field of brain mapping.

Phrenology chart of the brain.

The discussion of consciousness and unconsciousness brings up many interesting questions that are often difficult to answer. Carl Jung was a psychiatrist who proposed two types of unconscious: the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. The personal unconscious is a collection of material that was once conscious but has been forgotten or repressed. This reminded me of the fact that our mind can not invent faces, so in our dreams, we see real faces of real people that we have seen at some point in our lives - are these faces in our collection of personal unconscious material? The collective unconscious, on the other hand, contains the accumulation of inherited psychic structures, and is not shaped by personal experience. This type of unconscious was a bit harder for me to grasp and understand, and I think would be interesting to research further.

Image that portrays different types of the conscious and unconscious mind.

One last topic that really interested me was psychedelic drugs, but specifically Project MKULTRA, an illegal government human experiment that used a variety of methodologies to manipulate individual mental states and alter brain functions. Psychedelic drugs trigger psychedelic experiences, often leading to extremely simulated imagination and hallucinogenic effects. However, in Project MKULTRA, such extreme measures were used that led to sever psychological torture, and many subjects died during the experiment. It is very intriguing and also scary the ways mind control can be used, especially since as Professor Vesna mentioned, mind control may be inevitable.

Artistic interpretation of psychedelic drugs on the brain.

References:

“Carl Jung and the Collective Unconscious Theory.” Break Through, breakthroughholistictherapy.com/shadow-integration-work/carl-jungs-collective-unconscious/.

Helou, Fouad. “Psychedelics and The Brain.” Graphite Publications, 8 Oct. 2014, graphitepublications.com/psychedelics-and-the-brain/.

Van Wyhe, John. “Phrenological Images.” History of Phrenology on the Web, www.historyofphrenology.org.uk/images.html.

Vesna, Victoria. “Neuroscience-pt1.Mov.” YouTube, 17 May 2012, youtu.be/TzXjNbKDkYI.

Vesna, Victoria. “Neuroscience-pt2.Mov.” YouTube, 17 May 2012, youtu.be/TFv4owX3MZo.

Vesna, Victoria. “Neuroscience pt3.” YouTube, 16 May 2012, youtu.be/E5EX75xoBJ0.

Event 2: Understanding Arts Based Research: Symposium

In addition to Linda Weintraub’s keynote lecture at the Understanding Arts Based Research Symposium on April 4th, I was also able to attend some of the short presentations. Specifically, I attended the presentations by Ingeborg Reichle, María Antonia González Valerio, and Iain Kerr.

Ingeborg Reichle presented on artistic responses to global challenges, touching on both the social challenges and ecological threats that society faces today. Universities attempt to contribute solutions to these challenges, demonstrating the need and value of university education and research. However, this requires collaboration across sectors and disciplinary boundaries among high degrees of specialization. Reichle touched on how disciplines are the driving force behind university administration, supporting the fragmentation of curricular in our systems of higher education. I thought this was very relevant to C.P. Snow’s idea of two cultures and the need to bridge the gap between these different forms of knowledge. The need to engage in active experimentation, reflection, and knowledge building is common among students. The arts can help raise awareness of global issues and the importance of having a deeper understanding of cultures when addressing these issues.

A diagram explaining arts integration in universities.

María Antonia González Valerio discussed a specific global challenge and concern of the public, climate change. Climate change is an international problem, prompting movements and activists who fear what is happening to the planet and want to help change it. One part of her presentation I found very interesting was her discussion of the “probable end of the world”, which is requiring political, economic, and ecological changes. It is interesting to me that to elicit change, there often has to be motivation through fear.

The global concern of climate change.

Lastly, Iain Kerr talked about the nature-culture divide and its connection to the production of art and science. Art, culture, and nature can all be part of a historical product, as we can think of ourselves as more than just artists, scientists, or humans. I was intrigued by his discussion of the divide between the subjective and objective, and questions pertaining to rethinking the concepts of value and collectivity. Kerr suggested the idea of the commons, with many worlds but one culture. In this way, the separate cultures, of say humanities and sciences, would be merged. However, there still would be creativity and uniqueness in the many worlds.

An image depicting the nature-culture divide.

Overall, I thought these presentations were captivating and I could connect them to topics discussed in class, and I would recommend attending future symposiums.

The selfie I took at the symposium.

References:

“Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.” NASA, NASA, 24 Apr. 2019, climate.nasa.gov/solutions/adaptation-mitigation/.

Pathak, Hardeep. “Us & Them: The Nature-Culture Divide.” The Holy Connection, The Holy Connection, 7 Aug. 2015, www.thclabs.org/miscellaneous/culture/us-them-the-nature-culture-divide/.

Week 6: BioTech and Art

This week’s discussion addresses important topics among both scientists and artists. The integration of both biotechnology and artwork is known as BioArt, a form of art that works with living organisms by using scientific processes such as genetic engineering and other forms of biotechnology. However, BioArt is a controversial expression of art, drawing attention to ethical, aesthetic, and social issues. It was interesting to learn that artists enter the laboratories and work with the scientists, sometimes even directly with the living tissues the scientists are working on. Through BioArt, scientists are challenging the accepted classifications of life by exploring areas that straddle boundaries seen as acceptable.

Artwork created by growing bacteria on a Petri dish, an example of BioArt.

As Professor Vesna discussed in her lecture, Joe Davis is the pioneer of BioArt. He is an artist who uses genes and bacteria in his artwork, with molecular biology tools and techniques. One of his pieces is the audio microscope, which allows users to view the living cells while also listening to their micro acoustic signatures, unique to each species. After attending the recent symposium all about acoustics and vibrations of sounds, I thought this was a very relevant and intriguing subject for this week. I find it very interesting that scientists are able to differentiate sounds made by such microscopic organisms, and how artists are connected with this phenomenon.

Multiple examples of transgenic animals, including the "GFP Bunny".

One other individual who I think is very important to the topic of biotechnology and art is Eduardo Kac, with his work on the “GFP Bunny.” This bunny, named Alba, is a green fluorescent bunny, engineered by splicing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) of a jellyfish into her genome. The results were captivating - when under a certain light, Alba glowed green. However, the GFP Bunny was also quite controversial, sparking public dialogue about the project. This bunny, along with other creations, is an example of transgenic art, based on the use of genetic engineering to transfer natural or synthetic genes to an organism and resulting in a unique living being. Human creativity continues to increase, but the question is, should there be limits? This reminds me of a movie I’ve seen, called GATTACA, in which children are conceived through genetic selection to ensure they possess the best hereditary traits of their parents. What are the possible consequences of biotechnological developments in society? It’s a difficult question to answer.

GATTACA, a science fiction film that cautions about the extremes of technology and genetic engineering.

References:

Haridy, Rich. “Art in the Age of Ones and Zeros: BioArt.” New Atlas - New Technology & Science News, New Atlas, 17 Mar. 2017, newatlas.com/art-ones-and-zeros-bioart/48391/#gallery.

Kac, Eduardo. “GFP Bunny.” Rabbit Remix, www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor.

Levy, Ellen K. “Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classifications.”

“REVIEW: Gattaca (1997).” Elena Square Eyes, 25 Nov. 2018, elenasquareeyes.com/2018/11/26/review-gattaca-1997/.

Smith, Zoe. “Transgenic Organism with GFP Genes.” Venngage, infograph.venngage.com/p/225066/transgenic-organism-with-gfp-genes.

Vesna, Victoria. “Biotech Intro NEW.” YouTube, 26 Mar. 2012, youtu.be/Fvp924_pbgc.

Week 5: Midterm Upload

For my midterm project, I focused on the idea of 3D bioprinting organs, specifically the kidney. Below is the link to my powerpoint presenting my project.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M7mqTCoK4Q0ogGuqlskWkWcQjeDEpc5R/view?usp=sharing

Week 4: Medicine + Technology + Art

I was very intrigued by this week’s topic, the relationship between medicine, art, and technology, as I am a student interested in a career in the medical field. Just like many other practices in the world, I would consider medicine an art, as it can include the expression of human creative skills and imagination. With the use of technological advances, medicine incorporates artistic aspects into many of its fields, as well as depends on art in medical animations and anatomical illustrations.

The work of Vesalius captures the beauty of the human body while also being anatomically accurate.

One of the first practices many people likely think of when considering the relationship between medicine and art is plastic surgery. It was interesting to me to discover that plastic surgery actually began about 4000 years ago in India, such as reconstructive surgery techniques. During World War I, there were many scientific and technological advances in warfare, and medicine advanced as well. Plastic surgery increased because of the vast number of opportunities due to injuries from war. Today, there is a wide variety of plastic surgeries, both cosmetic and medically-indicated. The story of the artist ORLAN shocked me, as she completes surgical performances as an art form to transform herself into elements from famous paintings of women. This medical procedures were used purely as a form of artistic expression.

ORLAN, an artist who uses plastic surgery as a form of artistic expression. 

Another aspect of the connection between medicine and art are projects such as Body Worlds, the Visible Human Project, and the Human Genome Project. I was especially interested in Body Worlds, which is a traveling exhibition of preserved human bodies and body parts that reveal inner anatomical structures. I think this would be a very unique exhibition to visit, and would allow someone like myself to explore and appreciate both the scientific and artistic sides of the exhibit. I also find interesting the increased technology that allows scientists to do research that has never been possible before, such as identifying and sequencing all the genes in human DNA. Not only can DNA sequencing tell an individual some of their medical history, but also can reveal ancestral history. As someone who appreciates art and hopes to be involved in medicine, I can definitely see the connection between the two in many aspects of my life.

Body Worlds' exhibition "The Walker", revealing the anatomy of the human body.

References:

Bright, Richard. “The Future of the Body with Performance Artist ORLAN.” Interalia Magazine, 27 Aug. 2015, www.interaliamag.org/blog/the-future-of-the-body-with-performance-artist-orlan/.

Sharp, Hal. “A Brief Essay on Anatomical Drawing.” Historical Collections at the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/anatomical/briefessay/.

Selinsky, Page. “The Marvels of Body Worlds.” Penn Museum, Penn Museum, 1 Sept. 2016, www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/the-marvels-of-body-worlds/.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt1.” YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012, youtu.be/Ep0M2bOM9Tk.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt3.” YouTube, 22 Apr. 2012, youtu.be/FIX-9mXd3Y4.

Event 1: Understanding Arts Based Research - Symposium

On April 4th, I was able to attend Linda Weintraub’s keynote lecture at the Understanding Arts Based Research Symposium that focused on the relation between eco materialism and contemporary art. Previous to this lecture, I had not really known what it meant to be an eco materialist, so listening to Weintraub’s point of view was very interesting. Eco materialists are those who believe the human physical apparatus can actually conduct research without an extensive amount of technology. Weintraub introduced a new word, “muckro”, that is in between macro and micro to discuss the work of eco materialists. Because of this belief, eco materialists want full body excursions and explorations, looking at the bigger picture through our senses.

Linda Weintraub's book discussing eco materialism and contemporary art

One interesting topic Weintraub discussed was how we live in a culture that is very visually oriented, which although I had not thought about before, I find to be extremely relevant. However, not all cultures have vision at the top of the hierarchy of senses; for example, sound is the most important sense among communities living in rainforests. Visual dominance gives individuals little opportunity to interact with things that have original connection to the ecosystem, narrowing our view of what a product is. Weintraub mentioned the anthropocentric tendencies of society, alienated from the systems around us. In her book “WHAT’s NEXT? Eco Materialism and Contemporary Art”, Weintraub discusses how we can focus on becoming ecocentric rather than anthropocentric, which I thought was a very important concept.

Packets from the symposium discussing the importance of art in research

I think this was a very beneficial lecture, as Weintraub brought up some very interesting questions, such as what society would look like if humans redefined our lives so that we are integral to our surrounding ecosystems? Being integral to the cycle allows artists to conduct research relating to these topics. Through her talk, I saw the connection to our discussion of the distinction between the two cultures, and how art and science are truly connected in a variety of ways. The lecture brought me to think about how I can use all my senses, rather than just vision, to interact with things in my surroundings, as well as becoming aware of the world I live in.

Selfie from the symposium

Week 3: Robotics and Art

Industrialization and mass production revolutionized the world, starting with the printing press and following with Ford’s assembly lines for the automobile. Revolutionary developments have continued throughout history, and it is interesting to observe how society responds to these changes and more specifically, the effects on the artistic process throughout the world. However, as described by Vesna, as mechanization increased, workers began to be treated like they were a part of the machine, and it was now the mechanization of workers as well.

(Ford's assembly line and the mechanization of workers)

After reading the work of Walter Benjamin, I began thinking about the effect of industrialization and mechanization on art. Benjamin states that “even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be”. This quote stood out to me, as it emphasizes that a reproduction of a work of art can never truly be the same as the original piece, yet so much of art today is a reproduction. Mechanical reproduction seems to put an end to the originality and uniqueness of art. In his work “The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction”, Douglas Davis applies the concepts of Walter Benjamin to a more modern society, discussing how there is not a distinction between original and reproduction in virtually any medium. He touches on how digitization has affected the handmade arts of writing, drawing, and painting, which can be seen in our day-to-day life.

(The spread of art to digital means)

It is interesting to me to think that not only has technology used art, but art has actually directly influenced the creation of new forms of technology. In our society, mechanization has become more advanced and we can consider the importance art has on robotics, a form of mechanization that has become more popular. In Professor Machiko Kusahara’s lecture on Japanese robotics, I found the comparison between the western and eastern perceptions of robots intriguing, with in some cases robots are seen as a threat whereas in others, specifically Japan, robots are seen as friendly helpers. We can see the application of robotics and how intertwined it is with art through many forms of entertainment today, from the movie “Big Hero 6” (which has a distinct robotic character) to Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant with its many “smart” features.

(Amazon's Alexa, a virtual assistant with "smart" technology)

References:

Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." (1936).

“Contemporary Cultural Questions: How Will Technology Continue to Influence Art?” Cultivating Culture, 13 Dec. 2013, www.cultivatingculture.com/2013/10/31/contemporary-cultural-questions-how-will-technology-continue-to-influence-art/.

Davis, Douglas. “The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (An Evolving Thesis: 1991-1995).” Leonardo, vol. 28, no. 5, 1995, pp. 381–386. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1576221.

Ernst, Kurt. “Henry Ford’s Moving Automotive Assembly Line Turns 100.” HemmingsDaily, 7 Oct. 2013, www.hemmings.com/blog/2013/10/07/henry-fords-moving-automotive-assembly-line-turns-100/.

Heathman, Amelia. “Amazon Alexa Can Now Make Playlists for You.” Evening Standard, 15 Mar. 2018, www.standard.co.uk/tech/amazon-alexa-amazon-music-playlists-a3790556.html.

Kusahara, Machiko. “Professor Machiko Kusahara on Japanese Robotics.” YouTube, 14 Apr. 2012, youtu.be/xQZ_sy-mdEU.

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics pt1.” YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, youtu.be/cRw9_v6w0ew.