Weird Video

Xerox Project

Everyone tries to take things from us.  They want our time, energy, words, and most importantly, our heart.

New Technology: Cow-Free Burger

The cow-free burger is new technology that has the same nutrition of meat, without the need for killing animals.  Meat can be 'grown' in a lab, using a piece of animal muscle and replicating it.  This would reduce the use of water land, and energy and make a lot of people happy.  It could lead to producing more 'perfect' food/nutrition in the future where we can optimize what we need instead of eating whatever we want.  Food can go back to being used for survival instead of for enjoyment.  This could solve many problems due to eating such as obesity.

21st Century Technology

Virtual reality is a 21st century technology that is becoming more and more common in the world.  Many technologies before it influenced the way it works now.  These include the television, the computer, and the phone.  The television set the foundation for creating a digital image.  The progression of technology from computers to phones allowed for the same processing power to take up less space, and eventually fit into virtual reality goggles.  In the future, virtual reality could become a part of everyone's lives.  It could be implanted in our brains, and the goggles may no longer be necessary.

Music Post

1. Nineties
Blink-182
Blink-182 is a combination of punk and alternative rock common to the 90's.  'Grunge' was typical of the 90's.  This was similar to the rock that came before in the 80's, and incorporated the breaking of rules similar to punk.  Many grunge bands started as 'garage bands' and didn't follow classical musical standards.

2. Punk
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is a combination of punk and rock.  Punk came from 'garage bands' and continued on to become genres like alternative rock.  The lyrics are often controversial, and sometimes even political.

3. Electronic/DJ Culture
The Chainsmokers
They have a consistent beat throughout the entire song.  Most sounds are artificially made, using a drum machines and synthesizers.  A lot of their songs are simply remixes, as they are DJs, and only change the beat and add other artificial features.

4. Girl Power
Heart
Heart has a female lead singer, and also elements of rock.  It showcases a strong female with a strong beat and uses real sounds from the drums, guitar, and keyboard.

5. Postmodern Crisis
Coldplay
Coldplay uses uncommon chords on guitar.  Their older songs were mostly soft, which contrasts the rock and punk of the 90's.  They also experimented with sound, creating unique sounds while retaining a message that rock music was able to portray as well.

Edited Video

Performance Art Video

Humanoids and AI

The realistic appearance of the robots is what makes the threat of them one day overpowering so apparent.  Many of us do not realize or recognize computers without a monitor.  Similarly, the threat of a robot is not as easily detected until they become human-like.  We see ourselves as the top of the food chain and 'better' than any animal.  The fact that something else can imitate our intelligence and appearance is frightening.  If robots can learn faster than us, then eventually they will be able to outsmart us.  People may assume we can shut them down if we detect them, but if robots are able to learn quickly, they can 'play dumb' and go under our detection until they are strong enough to overtake us.

Flipbook

This is the flipbook I made using a paperback book, pencil, and crayons.  StopMotion app was used to create the video and music was added to create the final product.

Artist vs. Inventor

What is the difference between an artist and an inventor?  Some people clearly fall into one category or the other, but it is difficult to put others into just one category.  A person who is purely an artist creates something from materials already available to them.  They copy from either nature or their mind.  An inventor also uses materials already available to them, but they create something with a new purpose.  An inventor creates a new method to complete a task.  Inventors also find a solution to a physical problem whereas this does not really apply to artists.  Artists and inventors share many characteristics.  They both use what they have to create something unique.  Many artists are partly inventors by developing new methods to create their art and many inventors are artists in using their creativity.  In that sense, no one is just an 'artist' or just an 'inventor'.

Broadway Assignment

I watched the video on West Side Story.  The energy was significantly different from that of opera, which proceeded the creation of Broadway.  The cast must dance as well, instead of simply singing and moving around the stage.  The outfits were also much simpler than those of opera singers.  The environment was more casual and appealed to a more general audience whereas opera was mostly for upper-class citizens. The other main difference between musicals and opera is that musicals had microphones to project the voices of the cast while opera singers were not allowed to do this.  However, microphones were not visible in the West Side Story.  They were either hidden well or not used, which would be surprising, as it would be very difficult for everyone to hear in such a large venue. 

Skittle Art

This image was created using a grid and skittles.  A grid was drawn on a picture, and I attempted to recreate the picture by matching skittles to the color that resided in each box of the grid.

Photography

Photography is much different than it was when it was first invented.  Camera obscura was the first time the outdoors was projected onto another surface.  This light was then exposed to a plate covered in chemicals and later developed in other chemicals to permanently keep the image on the plate.  Many of the original chemicals used were toxic and took a long time for the photograph to remain.  Different chemicals improved upon the time and safety.  Then, motion was captured by using many glass plates and then played through a variety of methods that quickly moved the frames in front of a person's eyes.  The next step was to use film strip instead of glass plates.  After that, sound was recorded in synchronization with the moving images.  This slowly became modern-day film.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops

The film about the Carolina Chocolate Drops was an informative film that followed the band through creation to their eventual parting of ways.  The film was a personal look into each members lives, but not much detail was given on their lives not pertaining to music.  I thought the film may have been improved by adding more details about the backgrounds of each person before the conference where they all met.  Instead, the film repeated many details, and in my opinion, contained too many details.

However, the film did blend together the history of the the Chocolate Drops seamlessly.  The sequence of events was easy to follow and it was easy to see each person progress as an individual as well as the band's progression as a whole.  It is incredible how talented each individual was, and how motivated they were in their own ways.  Each played numerous instruments, and even picked up a few more instruments over time.

Madame Butterfly Puppetry

It is interesting that the puppet soldier in the madame butterfly show is controlled by three people.  This allows for multiple takes on the expression and emotion in the scene.  If one person were to control the puppet, the view would be limited to only one person's interpretation.  While having multiple people could create a challenge if opposing viewpoints are present, the spontaneity can allow for a new outlook on the story, and makes each playing of the story a unique experience.

Madame Butterfly Claymation

The mood of the film is easily determined by the surroundings as well as the facial expressions of the woman.  It is typically dark and cloudy.  The only time her facial expression changed was in the very beginning, when she was happy to be with the man.  As the film progressed, more clouds rolled in and it became darker and darker.

The film comes full circle at the very end.  The start of the film shows a butterfly follow the man, as her heart leaves with it.  When the man returns and breaks her heart, she dissembles herself and becomes the butterfly.  This is a creative way to represent the lady letting go, and believing in herself.  She is no longer dependent as the butterfly, and is no longer tied down in one place, waiting for the man to return.

Properties of Cathedrals

Cathedrals have a few different requirements to be considered a cathedral.  All of them have a rose window, flying buttresses, gargoyles, a relic, pointed arches, columns and be in the shape of a cross.  The rose window is in the very front of the cathedral above the entrance.  Flying buttresses support the weight of the roof, and contained a column extending outward from the cathedral.  Gargoyles provide an escape for water, so the weight of the roof does not increase too much.  They were named for the noise they made when water flows out.  All cathedrals contain a holy relic, with this being the focal point of many cathedrals.  They have pointed arches and spires that make up the ceiling.  Columns supported roofs while providing more decoration.  Roman columns were much thicker than their Gothic counterpart.  Finally, cathedrals must take the shape of a cross from an aerial view.  The entrance is the top of the cross, while moving through the cathedral is like moving down the cross.

Roman Entertainment and Architecture

The audience participated in the action during chariot races instead of the mere spectators of the Native Americans and Ancient Greeks.  The entertainment also shifted to killing.  While still celebrating, a different form of entertainment was present.  In the Colosseum, spectators even had an impact on the performance, deciding whether some people lived or died.  Gladiators showcased newer military inventions than those of past performances.  Animals and technologies such as trap doors were used in the performances.  Seating was separated by class instead of the unorganized crowds of Native Americans and random seating of the Ancient Greeks.

The Romans introduced structures such as arches and domes that allowed for buildings to be larger and more appealing.  Cathedrals came from this.  Sounds changed from the excitement of crowds watching killing to focusing on peace and religion.  The focus shifts to religion rather than slaughter.

Native American and Ancient Greek Entertainment

Native American music and dances were very simple, with basic instruments used.  There were performances, but not formal seating.  This forced people to move around to watch and experience in a different way than performances today.  It is possible that their sounds and movements imitated their surroundings.  This could be a way to find meaning, similar to our present-day religion.  They could have admired nature and appreciated everything around them, as they were completely immersed in nature daily, depending on it to survive.

The Ancient Greeks made a theater to honor the gods, a large feat of human work.  Music was used in attempt to heal people at the theater, believing in the gods to help cure medical issues.  The theater was used for entertainment, linking entertainment and religion.  The Ancient Greeks had much more sophisticated performances than those of the Native Americans, but it was also artificial.  Acoustics were used to amplify sound, and the entire setting was man-made.

Response to Raul Cuero's Interview About Creativity

Dr. Cuero presents many ideas about his take on creativity in an interview.  He states that ideas come from communicating with others, and he believes that today, many people do not get this essential communication.  He believes we spend too much time indoors instead of exploring nature and sharing ideas.  He says that children no longer create their own way of thinking, and they simply follow a preset guide that everyone follows.  In the United States, there is a lack of intellectual culture, where families do not discuss philosophy and other concerns.  Children only learn at school and even then, only learn to get a mechanical job which is limited in that no thinking is required.

I found that many of Dr. Cuero's arguments only considered one side of the issue.  While communication is a part of creating new ideas, there are many other inputs such as hard work and individual experience.  While many people do not spend much time outside, there have still been advancements and inventions.  While the education system streamlines a way for everyone to learn, it is still critical for people to develop their own way of thinking, but learning from other peoples' mistakes and research can act as a foundation to promote further thinking.

Introduction

My name is Evan Ambrose.  I am currently a junior at the University of Tampa pursuing a B.S. in biochemistry.  I run track for the University of Tampa, with the 400m hurdles being my main event.