Ultraviolet Renaissance: Transhumanism at the Intersection of Art, Science & Philosophy

On April 24th, “Ultraviolet Renaissance: Transhumanism at the Intersection of Art, Science & Philosophy” event organized thanks to Yale Post Graduate Association (YPGA) took place in Sterling Hall of Medical Library 115, hosted by Can Akpinaroglu.

The event started by talking about Claude Monet’s life and his art. Then, Can moved onto how his health started affecting his art which was further shaped by his experiences following his surgery. The science of light and biophysics of vision, which ultimately shapes art, were touched upon.

Topics then shifted onto philosophy and how perceptions change our understanding was discussed, specifically how our perceptions of color shape the way we think and our reality.

Finally, discussion moved on to transhumanism, at the intersection of art, science and philosophy. Can Akpınaroğlu delved into how transhumanism could affect not only our health, lifespan and intelligence, but also how it could completely reshape art by letting us see new colors and ultimately change our thinking and reality. In fact, Can focused specifically on how art could experience a renaissance through new perceptions including colors. The dangers and possible issues of such a path were discussed as well. These problems could be in medical and ethical sense or even pose serious sociological threats.