Reflections from LASER at Stanford

I attended the L.A.S.T Dialogues event at Stanford on April 15th, 2025, and it was a great experience, as it deepened my understanding of how technology, science, and art intersect. My favorite part was Patricia Blessing’s talk about Water in Islamic Architecture. I’ve always loved Islamic art and design – because it is so ornate and intricate, so it was really cool to learn more about the historical and technological context of some pieces. Blessing explained how features like the Selimeye Mosque’s fountains reflect not only religious rituals but also the Ottoman Empire’s technological mastery over water. This lecture resonated very closely with our class discussions about math and art and how knowledge of geometry can create the insanely detailed Vitruvian Man by Da Vinci (Mona Lisa Foundation). Functionality and science can merge with art and design. 

Michael Jewett presented on Synthetic Biology, and although it was a bit complex, it was very interesting as well. He talked about how cell-free protein manufacturing is moving us beyond nature's templates to design biological systems. This is well aligned with Concepts from Ingber’s “The Architecture of Life”, where it touched on how biology is seen as a dynamic architecture – a seamless blend of structure, function, and design (Ingber, 1998).

Both Jewett and Blessing showed how technology and art have always been intertwined with science, whether it is water systems or modern biotechnology. This reminds me of Cooper’s RAPT project, which used MRI scans as a form of self-portraiture art (Casini, 2011).

I want to attend more, and would really encourage others to attend LASER events, because they help you expand your views on art, science, and technology. 

References

Casini, S. (2011). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts. Configurations, 19(1), 73–99. https://doi.org/10.1353/con.2011.0008

Ingber, D. E. (1998). The Architecture of Life. Scientific American, 278(1), 48–57. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0198-48

Mona Lisa Foundation. “Leonardo and Mathematics.” The Mona Lisa Foundation, 12 Sept. 2012, monalisa.org/2012/09/12/leonardo-and-mathematics-in-his-paintings/.