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Week 4: Medtech + Art

I am particularly interested by the rapid evolution of technology in the medical field because of how much technology influences every aspect of our lives – but this week I enjoyed learning about where the field of medicine originated. I found that reading the Hippocratic Oath was interesting because of how it has changed over the years.  In the original oath, its contents were generally based off of respecting the body, the patient, and the art form that is medicine – encouraging those who have this knowledge to share it with others.  It is interesting how the field of medicine has changed since then, in that it is seen as separate from art, and the knowledge of medicine has been restricted to those who are intelligent enough to survive medical school as well as have the monetary stability to afford it.  To me, this modern view of medicine does not seem to coincide with the original standards it was founded on as seen in The Hippocratic Oath.

            And while this shift in view is apparent in our society today, I found it intriguing how artists use medical technology to inspire and create art.  This is seen in the article about MRI’s and how artists have used not only the images that these scans create, but also the sensory experience of being inside the MRI machine to inspire their artwork.  However, I found the work by Diane Gromala to be the most interesting to me, because of the recent craze of Virtual Reality that has swept through the media.  I love the idea of using VR to treat chronic pain by combining it with biofeedback and mindfulness meditation.  This also related to a topic brought up in Lecture Part 3 that electronic medicine may surpass chemical medicine in the near future.  I think that rather than giving patients tons of different medication, it is beneficial to pair chemical cures with activities that improve health.  This is shown in VR activities that increase positive feelings by allowing patients to escape in the world being shown to them, rather than keeping patients cooped up in a hospital for long periods of time.
MRI Scan Image
Below is a link to an example of a Virtual Reality experience: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlOiXMvMaZo



References

Austin, Jon. "Cancer breakthrough: MRI scanners can rid body of cancerous tumours, scientists claim." Express.co.uk. Express.co.uk, 18 Aug. 2015. Web. 29 Apr. 2017.

"Surrounded by Wild Elephants in 4k 360." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Mar. 2016. Web. 29 Apr. 2017.

TEDxTalks. "TEDxAmericanRiviera - Diane Gromala - C

urative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Dec. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.

"The all-new Hippocratic Oath." The Privacy Surgeon. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2017.

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.

Uconlineprogram. "Medicine pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Apr. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.

Comments

  1. JeffreyMay 3, 2017 at 11:26 PM

    You bring up an interesting point when you talk about the idea that electronic forms of medicine may surpass chemical ones in the near future. In my opinion, I think the most likely future scenario is that we fine some sort of balance point with these two forms of medicine, where both serve their own unique purposes. Whereas technologies like virtual reality can definitely help with calming the mind and influencing an individual's mental state, chemical forms of medicine are clearly still needed in the treatment of physical abnormalities such as cancer. Nevertheless, it is definitely interesting how artists are utilizing their skills and talents to bring things like VR into the realm of medicine that serve very real and helpful purposes in the field. Great observations!

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