MedTech and Art (Loving Iron Man for More Than His Lasers)

Pew. Pew. Pewpewpewpewwwww.
<http://www.mytinyphone.com/wallpaper/491814/>

Iron Man’s superhero origin is that he used his own ingenuity and limited technology to save himself from imminent death. The fascination that revolves around his story is more than shiny armor and guns – he represents medical technology and the future we hope it will bring to us, a future that I most certainly strive to contribute to.

SPOILERS - Iron Man 3's Tony Stark injection of a modified Extremis nanobot serum will secrete his suit from super-compaction within his bones in Iron Man 4.
Thus exemplifying the natural progression of technology and man.
<http://www.comicvine.com/articles/why-iron-man-extremis-makes-sense-to-be-the-plot-f/1100-144620/>

As Dr. Vesna’s lecture outlined, societies from ancient times through the Renaissance and to this very day have scrutinized human anatomy discovering the necessary systems, tissues, organs, cells, and DNA codes that define our biology, each discovery pushing scientists and artists alike to test the reality of our bodies against imagination.

In Heroes, the villain Sylar explores his inner-Vesalius by opening up superpowered people's brains.
<http://www.comicvine.com/forums/battles-7/punisher-and-deadpool-vs-syler-422059/>

Once these discoveries had been made, we were able to integrate information and imagination to further fuel our thirst for truth and knowledge, with Rontgen’s x-rays, Damadian’s MRI, and CAT scans all working to show everyone, not just scientists, of how life happens. I myself work at a lab where our effective knowledge and quality of experimental attempts are derived from, and are not valid without, understanding the final x-ray and radiation images.

DICOM: a worldwide-standard for medical-imaging files allows for efficient transmission of information.
A pain for everyone else who needs to convert from other formats. *coughmecough*
<http://www.brit.com/dicom.html>

Casini’s revelation of the importance of these new technologies, specifically of MRI, includes acknowledging the public’s reception of a brainscan being a visual, defining characteristic of being human and an individual. I am sure I am not alone in feeling at ease when my physician shows personalized images such as orthodontic x-rays when he explains to me what is currently ailing me or not.

Homer doesn't need a physician's help to understand his intricate inner complexities.
<http://gifsoup.com/view/2047169/homer-thinking.html>

But, her analysis also transcends the images themselves and looks at the MRI-patient experience itself as a moment of self-awareness of the wholeness of one’s body and how personal intake of the sound of the machine allows individual imaginings of their portrait rather than single scanner/computer-generated views. Instead of limiting our observations of ourselves, technology has ways of giving us to internalize new perspectives and sensations.

Drew Berry’s Body Code also explored the art of self-discovery by allowing audiences to view the very happenings within their bodies’ various systems e.g. neural signaling, blood cell flows, tumor growths and evoking the sensation of being able to imagine the true events that facilitate their continued existence. The series the Magic School Bus had great popularity during my early education for doing so at a simplistic, yet thrilling level. 

The best bedtime storybook.
Ever.
<http://bookwormsabode.com/childrens-books-full/the-magic-school-bus-inside-the-human-body/adventure/>

Orlan’s Carnal Art is interesting in her examples of human “defiguration and refiguration” via technology, allowing personal expression outside of creation and inside modification, becoming a work of art herself for embodying various stories regarding feminine influence throughout history.

A man underwent 17 surgeries to become Superman.
Good thing his childhood hero wasn't the Hulk.
<http://bookwormsabode.com/childrens-books-full/the-magic-school-bus-inside-the-human-body/adventure/>

The lecture discussion of applying bodily modifications not only as prosthetics to replace missing appendages or restoring natural human characteristics but also as additions or extensions to the human body was naturally very inspiring, as it did not open up possibilities of becoming inhuman, but rather realities where one could be more than, possibly a better human. 

This woman developed her own functional mermaid tail to accommodate  her passion for searching for an undersea band and orchestra to sing along with.
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2141792/Real-life-mermaid-swims-whales-making-fish-tail.html>

James Holt’s movement towards this, towards progressive change, is transhumanism as Humanity+, incorporating biotechnology, information technology, molecular nanotechnology, artificial general intelligence, etc. to “elevate the human condition” against aging, cognitive shortcomings, involuntary suffering, and confinement to Earth as Humanity+, which is reminiscent of the beautifully orchestrated videogame Deus Ex, in which nanotechnology meant for human augmentation has the potential for humanity’s self-destruction, secret manipulation by invisible organizations, and even outright dictatorship, be it benevolent or vicious, and actually does embody the natural fears behind exploring human potential.

Only you can choose the fate of the world.
Don't act like you don't want the responsibility.
<http://onlyhdwallpapers.com/game/video-games-deus-ex-human-revolution-desktop-hd-wallpaper-1134702/>

Medicine has yet to deal with universal nanotechnology-implementation ethics, but the current influence of the Hippocratic Oath was an important example for me as I hope to soon be swearing upon it myself. I do not agree with the contention that physician care has lost its purpose in being the art of caring for patients by treating them as charts of symptoms or becoming wrapped up behind bureaucratic ties does not because I know that the art of using medicine to improve and save lives is still preserved in some physicians still applying all the science they know towards treating patients, even if it requires redirecting all mental faculties away from some patient-interaction towards problem(symptom)-solving. 

Dr. Dorian trying to abide by HIPAA regulations and not (directly) telling his friend that her boyfriend came in with an STD.
This is his daydream, but you have to wonder if this actually happens.
<http://damn-turkledawg.tumblr.com/post/47654955081>

Sources

ACMI. Drew berry - body code. ACMI, n.d. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://www.acmi.net.au/drew_berry.htm>.

Arthurs, Deborah. Real-life mermaid swims with whales using very own fish tail - and holds breath for two minutes on deep sea dives. Mail Online, 2012. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2141792/Real-life-mermaid-swims-whales-making-fish-tail.html>.

Bookworm's Abode. The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body. Bookworm's Abode, 2013. Web. 14 July 2013. <http://bookwormsabode.com/childrens-books-full/the-magic-school-bus-inside-the-human-body/adventure/>.

BRIT. DICOM Conformance Statement. BRIT Systems, Inc., 2012. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://www.brit.com/dicom.html>.

Casini, Silvia. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as mirror and portrait: MRI configurations between science and the arts. Configurations 19.1, 73-99. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/32590/files/1377959/download?wrap=1>.

Damn-turkledawg. Photo. Tumblr, n.d. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://damn-turkledawg.tumblr.com/post/47654955081>.

Humanity+. Philosophy. Humanity+, n.d. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://humanityplus.org/philosophy/philosophy-2/>.

Lima, Sara. Why IRON MAN: EXTREMIS Makes Sense To Be The Plot For 'Iron Man 3'. Comic Vine, 2012. Web. 14 July 2013. <http://www.comicvine.com/articles/why-iron-man-extremis-makes-sense-to-be-the-plot-f/1100-144620/>.

Nony17. Iron man.gif. Mytinyphone.com, 2011. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://www.mytinyphone.com/wallpaper/491814/>.

Stern, Marlow. Meet Herbert Chavez: Superman’s Plastic Surgery-Loving Filipino Doppelganger. The Daily Beast, 2013. Web. 14 July 2013. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/14/meet-herbert-chavez-superman-s-plastic-surgery-loving-filipino-doppelganger.html>.

Tyson, Peter. The Hippocratic Oath Today. NOVA (PBS), 2001. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html>.

OnlyHDWallpapers. Video games deus ex human revolution. OnlyHDWallpapers, 2013. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://onlyhdwallpapers.com/game/video-games-deus-ex-human-revolution-desktop-hd-wallpaper-1134702/>

Orlan. "Carnal Art" Manifesto. Orlan, n.d. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://orlan.eu/adriensina/manifeste/carnal.html>.

Superparody. Punisher and Deadpool VS Syler. Comic Vine, 2010. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://www.comicvine.com/forums/battles-7/punisher-and-deadpool-vs-syler-422059/>.

VanDerFlaxen. Homer - Thinking. Gifsoup, 2011. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://gifsoup.com/view/2047169/homer-thinking.html>.

Vesna, Victoria. Medicine pt1. Youtube, 2012. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk>.

Vesna, Victoria. Medicine pt2. Youtube, 2012. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=psjnQarHOqQ>.

Vesna, Victoria. Medicine pt3. Youtube, 2012. Web. 14 Jul 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FIX-9mXd3Y4>.