Neuroscience + Art

     The brain is beautiful in its ability and in itself. The organization of the brain and its ability to create novel ideas through electrical impulses is astounding. Interestingly, the brain and a computer system are very similar. There are inputs to both (5 senses for human, I/O for computer,) a processing center, a temporary storage center, a long term storage center, a chasis, and a finite lifetime. Franz Joseph Gall was the first to formulate the theory of region specialization in the brain. He believed that the brain was a collection of specialized organs (like compute cores) that performed different functions. Despite the fact that he was a practitioner of phrenology, his theories regarding specialization and regions were proved correct.

An example of Gall's division of regions

     Santiago Ramón y Cajal built upon Gall's foundation and explored neurological degeneration and regeneration. His initial path in life had him en route to becoming an artist but he bridged into science. Cajal was a perfect example of the scientist and artist hybrid as he continued to find the beauty in his studies of neurons. His illustrations shown below are an example of his artistic insight and view of the structure of the brain.

      Ramón y Cajal discovered the axonal growth cone and developed the neuron doctrine which later became a cornerstone of modern neuroscience. He explored the existence of dendritic spines and illustrated them in his drawings. His many illustrations of neurological interconnects resemble the depiction of trees in a bland forest devoid of other lifeforms. 

     The brain differs from a pure computing unit in that there is not a set of limited and predefined algorithms that are responsible for data interpretation. This allows for sensory tricks such as optical illusions to be played on the brain. The most common types of optical illusions involve concentration on one area of a piece which causes an incorrect perception of surrounding areas. An example is shown in the "Lilac chaser" below:

 Concentrate on the dot in the center and the pink will disappear.

     Other common optical illusions include pictures with two possible subjects or main stages. Oftentimes this is done by creating a scene with plants or buildings that can come together to create a super-tree or super-building. Sometimes these scenes are put together so as to create a face like the one below which depicts both a face and an orderly lady walking on a street.

Works Cited

"BrainBashers : Optical Illusions." BrainBashers : Optical Illusions. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://www.brainbashers.com/opticalillusions.asp>.

"Franz Joseph Gall : founder of phrenology." Franz Joseph Gall : founder of phrenology. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://www.phrenology.com/franzjosephgall.html>.

"Nervous Systems and Senses." Nervous Systems and Senses. J. Stein Carter, 5 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/nervous.htm>.

"Santiago Ramón y Cajal - Biographical". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 20 Jul 2014. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1906/cajal-bio.html>

Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience Pt3." YouTube. UC Online Program, 16 May 2012. Web. 20 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0>.