Event 3 Griffith Observatory

When we first went into the observatory, something really familiar caught my eye in the Wilder Hall of the Eye Exhibits, it is the Tesla Coil! In Week 3’s lecture we talked about robotics and art, and Nikola Tesla was the inventor that invented the rotating magnetic field. His vision of the wireless world is certainly fascinating during his time, he invented the first model of the Tesla Coil in 1891, and his aim was to use the coil as a transmission of electricity through the air, with the dreams to provide electricity without using wires. Eventually, the Westinghouse Company used his designs and built a power station at Niagara Falls, and right now the power grid that we use is based on Tesla’s work.

The Griffith Observatory is a place that full of artistic works, the Hugo Ballin Murals located on the upper walls right above the Foucault pendulum is one that depicts many classic celestial mythologies, such as images of Atlas, the four winds, and the planets as gods. The artist illustrates the progress of science through the mural, even the mural was made more than 80 years ago, it has included stories that related to modern day science advancement such as astronomy, aeronautics, navigation, mathematics and physics.

Our perception of light and color is depended on what our eyes can see, but there are many wavelengths of light that are beyond the colors we see. For example, we cannot see microwave, infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray, or gamma-ray light. Once again, the ability to see light is linked to neuroscience, the photoreceptor cells that are in our retina. But the fact that we cannot see some colors does not mean that they do not exist.

What I have learned last week about Neurosci+ Art is that “What You See May Not Be Real,” and the experience at the Griffith also taught me that “what you cannot see may be real” as well. I also want to bring out the important of perspectives that we have learned throughout this quarter. In ancient times, people did not know that the earth is round and the earth rotates after the sun, but with the advancement of technologies, we are able to change our perspectives and find out what is the truth. The main take away in this visit is that, if we can extend our vision, we can be able to understand way more stuff than what is visible in front of us.

Works Cited

"Beyond the Visible." Griffith Observatory. Web. 21 May 2015.

Deioma, Kayte. "The Ballin Wall and Ceiling Murals at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles." Web. 21 May 2015.

"Hugo Ballin Murals." Griffith Observatory -. Web. 21 May 2015.

"The Tesla Coil." PBS. Web. 21 May 2015.

"Using the Sky." Griffith Observatory -. Web. 21 May 2015.