curriculum

California Nanosystems Institute
in collaboration with UCLA Design | Media Arts
Art | Science Lab

July 7 - July 18, 2008

Art Science Curriculum

Curriculum

Student will be officially enrolled into DESMA 6 - Art, Science, and Technology (4 units)

For this inaugural year of the Art | Science Lab, we are focusing on the possibilities of nanotechnology. Running in parallel with the NanoSystems Chemistry and Engineering Research (NanoCER) program at the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) and the Design | Media Arts Institute at the Broad Arts center, the Art | Science Lab will offer students collaboration with top faculty and students participating in this program's team-based interdisciplinary nanotech research. Nanotechnology applications currently being studied involve optics, materials, and new devices.

Students will be introduced to a wide spectrum of possibilities of nanotechnology such as going beyond the powers of 10, nanomaterials, and applications of nanotech for the environment. Occurring in tandem with the D | MA program, young scientists have an opportunity to be visionary while building active relationships with artists. They will visit labs researching nanoscale biosensors and electronic materials, inorganic hybrid materials, energy storage, functional solids and gyroscopes, enzyme design and molecular containers and molecular nanostructures to name a few. Additionally, students will have hands-on experience with Atomic Force Microscopy and the Scanning Electron Microscopy at the Pico lab, directed by world-renowned nanoscientist James Gimzewski. For more information on the participating labs and faculty, visit the Faculty link.

Complementing the lab visits and discussions on nanotechnology and science research, students will be exposed to art science projects that are inspired by nano and bio sciences. Science fiction movies will be screened in the evening. By mid-week they will be asked to pick a subject that they would like to think about and come up with an idea, either alone or in collaboration with a peer, that will be presented at the end of the week. Their proposals will be in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, simple Web site, or short video. One of the key skills future scientists need to learn is the ability to explain their ideas to those who will give them jobs or funding. We believe that their final projects will prove helpful in whatever discipline they decide to study in the future.

Click here to view the syllabus and sample schedule.

Grades

Program participants will earn 4 units of UCLA academic course credit. Please note that your official transcript is not automatically sent to you. Click here to view more information about UCLA grading policies and how to acquire grade transcripts.