Week 4- Kombucha, Magnetism, and Mind Maps

Week four started off with a brain dump. Though not directly related to the subjects of the course, the act of releasing all of my thoughts on paper felt very therapeutic and helpful for visualizing information. Once I had written out a lot of things I was thinking about, I was able to draw connections between them and see the way my mind wandered. It was similar to the activity of mapping our class concepts on Thursday! 

Professor Vesna then passed around a dried kombucha SCOBY and we got to feel the leatheryness and transparency of it. When I touched and smelled it, it really reminded me of dried kelp that I had worked on in a previous installation. I am drawn to the multisensory experience of SCOBY as a material to use for my project in the class. 

dried kombucha scoby

The kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) is a versatile organic material that can be used in a variety of artistic contexts. Some of its notable artistic qualities include

  1. Textural variety: The surface of a SCOBY is unique and visually interesting, with a combination of bumps, ridges, and holes.

  2. Organic form: The natural, organic shape of a SCOBY can lend a sense of biologic growth and decay to artwork.

  3. Translucency: When held up to the light, a SCOBY can appear translucent, creating an ethereal quality to the artwork.

  4. Versatility: The SCOBY can be used in a range of artistic mediums, including printmaking, sculpture, and mixed media.

  5. Sustainability: As a waste product of the kombucha brewing process, using SCOBY in art promotes the principles of sustainability and upcycling.

 

The artistic qualities of kombucha SCOBY make it a unique and visually engaging material that can add an organic and sustainable element to my artwork. Professor Vesna kindly gifted me a SCOBY in class and I was able to start growing it this week. The process was very straightforward and after a couple days I already see new growth on it. 

my kombucha 

Afterwards, Dr. Gekelman came to talk to us about magnetism. Magnetism is a fundamental force of nature that plays a crucial role in a variety of physical phenomena and technologies. He explained about force vectors, and how a vector is strength plus direction. Additionally, he noted the important Maxwell equations which lay a basis for all modern technology and even predicted light. The Maxwell equations are a set of four differential equations that describe the behavior of electric and magnetic fields. They were formulated by James Clerk Maxwell in the 19th century and are considered one of the most important developments in the history of physics. These equations form the basis of classical electromagnetism and are used to explain a wide range of physical phenomena. They have far-reaching implications and have been used to develop a wide range of technologies, including electric motors, generators, and transformers, as well as telecommunications, medical imaging, and renewable energy technologies. 

One such renewable energy he went into was the types of fusion reactions they are creating at Livermore Labs. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is one of the leading research institutions in the field of fusion technology. LLNL is dedicated to exploring and developing fusion energy as a clean, safe, and virtually limitless energy source for the future. The laboratory is home to a number of state-of-the-art fusion devices, including the National Ignition Facility (NIF), which is one of the world's largest and most powerful laser facilities. LLNL's fusion research is focused on developing the scientific and technological knowledge needed to make fusion a practical and sustainable energy source. In recent news, there was a successful experiment at the NIF where more energy was produced than was used, paving the way for potential fusion power plants in the future. 

Diagram of NIF (NIF)

Lecture from Dr. Gekelman

On Thursday we made a mind map of all of the concepts we have covered in the class so far. It was very interesting to see how all of the seemingly unconnected scientific concepts intertwined to help add depth to one another. Professor Vesna invited Santiago into the classroom, an astrophysics postgraduate student who helped us decipher our board and gave his perspective on it. I loved getting to see how different minds link the concepts in various ways, showing the range of possible explorations that can depart from the foundational concepts we learned about. 

Thursday's mind map



 

Works Cited

“Kombucha: What Is It, and What Are Its Health Benefits?” Kombucha: What Is It, and What Are Its Health Benefits? | University Health Center, https://health.unl.edu/kombucha-what-it-and-what-are-its-health-benefits. 

About NIF & Photon Science, https://lasers.llnl.gov/about. 

Kramer David. “NIF Achieves New Fusion Output Milestone.” Physics Today, American Institute of Physics, 15 June 2018, https://physicstoday.scitation.org/do/10.1063/PT.6.2.20180615b/full/. 

“A Plain Explanation of Maxwell's Equations.” Fosco Connect, https://www.fiberoptics4sale.com/blogs/electromagnetic-optics/a-plain-explanation-of-maxwells-equations. 

Alexis. “Creative Kombucha Scoby Uses: Edible Alchemy Fermentation Blog.” EDIBLE ALCHEMY, 26 Feb. 2021, https://ediblealchemy.co/creative-uses-extra-kombucha-scobys/.