Mixed Feelings

In Mixed Feelings, the author explains how do we sense, how these senses function and how the sensor technology used on scientific field. For example, when we see things, our eyes collect photons of certain wavelengths and translate them into signals (data) to our brain. The brain process the “inputs”(data) and get the information (outputs) of what do we see. Ears do the same thing, translate vibrations in the air into signals (data) and send these “inputs” to our brain. Later, some scientists found that our brain not only can process the data but also can change how it interprets data from a particular sense, or take information from one sense and interpret it with another.

When I was reading this, I feel so familiar with some words, like “data”, “process”, “inputs” and “outputs”. I start question: Is the brain a computer? Is the mind a computer program? Can the operations of the brain be simulated on a computer?

I believe the scientific research and the theory the article states. But I am thinking about “the sixth sense”, the inexplicable awareness that something is about to happen or something is not quite right. Probably the future scientists will find out how the brain programs the sixth sense. It has been suggested that a sixth sense is the sum of the other five senses combined. If so, I will totally believe our brain is a digital computer.

video installlation art

video installlation art

It took me step by step to understand Marshall McLuhan's "the medium is a message". In video installation art, the form (installation) is more important than any message or "content" the video conveys, the medium plays a important role, the video talks to the installation, be a part of the installation, and meanwhile, the "meaning" or content in the video has reduced. That's why Margaret Morse states that each installation is an experiment. The technology based video installation art opens up more possibilities, it is not like a narrative or documentary film or paintings, it create dialogues between the video and the installation, between the art works and the audience. The audience not only can find his best view of the project, but also can be a part of the project. That's how I understand the video installation art.