Welcome to my latest blog entry, a space where the artistry of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, the legendary Spanish Neuroscientist, becomes the muse for a unique fusion of science and art. As an artist, professor, and Fulbright Scholar, I have the privilege of exploring and breathing "the life" of Cajal's intricate scientific sketches within the four walls of my studio. Just as the swirling hues of a nebula inspire the astronomer, the delicate complexities of Cajal's drawings breathe inspiration into my work.
Monday, June 19, 2023
Threaded Pathways: Unraveling Neuroscience and Art in Hannah Warming's Needles & Neurons
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Exploring the Wonders of the Human Brain: A Journey through Science and Art at the Madrid Book Fair
The 82nd Madrid Book Fair, spanning the duration of two weeks (May 26-June 11, 2023), is welcoming visitors with a multitude of booths representing nearly 1,000 publishing houses across 424 exhibitors. This year's event has undergone modifications aimed at redesigning specific areas to enhance the accessibility of books and alleviate congestion. One noteworthy addition is the implementation of the "shadow project," whereby select sections of the fairgrounds will be covered with tarps. This initiative has been made possible through the support of the Healthy Skin Foundation of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.
Another departure from the Madrid Book Fair tradition is the omission of the customary "Guest Country" designation, which has been replaced by the overarching theme and motto:
"We're into Science and Letters" [#DeCienciasYLetras]
In line with this new approach, exploring scientific literature, many activities are organized to include an established "Science Square" that serves as a collective epicenter of the fair. Among the notable attractions within this area is a projection of a giant brain, coinciding with the Año Cajal, created by CSIC Divulga, provides insights into the intricacies of neuronal functioning.
The opening discourse of the Madrid Book Fair, aligned with the overarching science theme of this edition, will be delivered by Agustín Fernández Mallo, an esteemed writer, in collaboration with Nazareth Castellanos, a doctor of Neuroscience, and Andrés Newman and Raquel Lanseros, both of whom have demonstrated a particular interest in scientific matters through their literary works. Furthermore, various gatherings, experiments, and panel discussions revolving around science will be held in the Children's Pavilion, the CaixaBank Pavilion, and the Eugenio Trías Library. These events, many of which are organized by the CSIC and the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, aim to foster engagement with scientific topics.
Recognizing that science permeates our daily lives, the Madrid Book Fair endeavors to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and the general public. In this context, activities explore diverse manifestations we encounter, like the metadata that impacts cyber algorithms that shape our social networks and our individual and collective identities. Other presentations of contemporary existence, such as emerging artificial technologies, have showcased how art is integrated into our lives through scientific illustrations. To that end, the Madrid Book Fair welcomed esteemed guests, including Alejandro Vergara Sharp, the head of the Conservation Area of Flemish Painting and Northern Schools at the Prado Museum, and José Ramón Marcaida, the Head Scientist of the History of Science Department at the CSIC History Institute. Together, these two experts shed light on the captivating interplay between art and science during the 15th and 16th centuries, revealing key insights into this dynamic relationship. Other experts specializing in diverse fields will offer insights on the intersection of scientific and literary subjects on the pavilion for Science and Universities.
A riveting exhibit at the Madrid Book Fair, introduced above, is the enthralling exhibition that explores one of science's most enigmatic marvels: the human brain. This exhibit dovetails with the Año Cajal and examines the intricacies and allure of the brain and the exhibition examines the complexity of the human mind. This installation embodies a unique and immersive experience that is captivating to the viewer and is a testament to the symbiotic relationship between science and art.
Citing Cajal's legendary scientific and artistic endeavors, the exhibition draws visitors into a realm where science and creativity intertwine. The display aims to foster a dialogue between scientific discovery and artistic expression through a multidimensional exploration that provides a gateway to a deeper understanding of the enigmatic nature of our cognition.
Through its immersive and visually striking presentation, the exhibition evokes wonder and curiosity - inspiring future generations of researchers and creatives. As spectators traverse the exhibition, they will witness the intricate tapestry of neural connections, gaining insight into history and the inner workings of human consciousness and explore the potential of the future through new technologies and groundbreaking innovations. Guests can obtain passes and schedule a visit to the exhibition on CSIC's website: here
As is customary, many authors are scheduled to attend the fair and will be signing copies of their books. This year the Madrid Book Fair will present a selection of prominent figures and authors whose works have achieved widespread acclaim and garnered substantial demand. This year's fair will pay tribute to literary giants Jorge Luis Borges, Antonio Gala and Juan Benet on Friday, June 8, 2023.
More Information
The 2023 Madrid Book Fair runs from May 26-June 11 at El Retiro Park.
Book Fair hours are:
- Monday-Thursday, 10:30 am to 2:00 pm & 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
- Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 am to 3:00 pm & from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
- The closest Metro Madrid stations are Príncipe de Vergara (Lines 2 and 9), Ibiza (Line 9), and Retiro (Line 2).
Official Madrid Book Fair website here
Friday, September 23, 2022
Art of Neuroscience Award and Scientific American Feature
Historical Background about Cajal
Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) was born in a small town in Spain. His father was a doctor, and Cajal grew up interested in science. He went to medical school, but he also studied biology and physics. He studied the brain using histological staining methods, microscopes, micrographs, and drawing. He discovered how different parts of the brain work. Cajal was also a great teacher and helped train many scientists who would go on to make significant contributions to neuroscience, like Fernando De Castro (arterial chemoreceptors), Rafael Lorente de Nó (audio-vestibular nuclei and system), and E. Horne Craigie (zoologist and author).
Along with Camillo Golgi, Cajal won the Nobel Prize for his work in 1906.
He did his seminal work in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He is known for problem-solving and innovation, like altering and improving the Golgi Black Reaction stain, which allowed him to visualize the nervous system in unprecedented detail. His discoveries continue to be the basis for our understanding of the brain.
Conclusion
I have enjoyed making artwork about Cajal's life and histology research. I am honored to have my work receive an Honorable Mention Award in the Art of Neuroscience competition and delighted that it was featured in Scientific American. To learn more about my project about him, visit my website devoted to my Cajal project, Dawn Hunter Art,™ | Cajal Portfolio.
Video
Below is a video that documents my process Creative Process Video for the Artwork Dueling Cajals:
Below is a video that documents my process Creative Process Video for the Artwork Dueling Cajals:
Sunday, May 1, 2022
Happy 170th Birthday Cajal!
Happy Birthday Cajal, you are my world, and your discoveries laid the foundation for many other research quests of the mind.
Cajal within the pyramidal neuron cells, marker and pen on paper. This is a page from my sketchbook.
Since your contributions to the neuron doctrine the have been too many neuro/mind research questions and discoveries to list. But here are a few.
"Split-brain" surgery to control epileptic seizures was performed by Willian Van Wagenen in 1940, and during 1946 Robert Heath carried out deep brain stimulations.Saturday, February 12, 2022
Your Cheatin' Heart
You can copyright your PowerPoint or professional presentations and probably should. How? What copyright registration format? This blog post examines the definition of plagiarism and the impact of internet access; plus lists the instructions on how to register your PowerPoint or professional presentation under the Motion Picture/Audio and Visual work through the Copyright Office of the United States Government.
What is plagiarism?
"Plagiarius" is the Latin root for plagiarism, and it means kidnapper or someone who steals children by capturing them in a net or a plaga. The word arose from ancient human behavior. Internet access has been identified as a leading "culprit" in the rise of plagiarism, so the metaphor for contemporary human behavior is not lost in its linguistic origins. ORI (Office of Research Integrity) has defined plagiarism as: "Appropriating someone else's idea (e.g., an explanation, a theory, a conclusion, a hypothesis, a metaphor) in whole or in part, or with superficial modifications without giving credit to its originator."
Strictly speaking, PowerPoints and professional presentations are automatically copyrighted when they are created; however, you can register your presentation with the Copyright Office of your nation. Presenting a PowerPoint at a professional meeting is considered a form of publication. Registering your PowerPoint presentation will ensure that you can take legal recourse if the content is plagiarized, i.e., original concepts, images, and scripted content appear, without proper citation, in someone else's work: presentations, published articles, books, blogs, websites, etc.
Comprised of Taylor & Francis, Routledge, CRC Press, F1000 Research, and Dovepress, top publishers Taylor & Francis has an entire web page devoted to various plagiarism topics, such as types of plagiarism, detecting and avoiding it. They have provided a precise definition for writers in their online content Author Services, defining the matter as the following: "For Taylor & Francis journals, this applies to data, images, words or ideas taken from any materials in electronic or print formats without sufficient attribution. This can include:
- abstracts,
- seminar presentations,
- laboratory reports,
- thesis or dissertation,
- research proposals,
- computer programs,
- online posts,
- grey literature,
- unpublished or published manuscripts.
The use of any such material either directly or indirectly should be properly acknowledged in all instances. You should always cite your source (please see 'How to avoid plagiarism' below)."
Plagiarism is common in all professions and occurs at all professional levels. Statistically, men tend to plagiarize more than women. Biological sciences in academia have the highest academic misconduct rate, which includes lifting content from others, falsely reporting data, and fabricating information or outcomes of experiments.
In the 2013 paper, Males Are Overrepresented among Life Science Researchers Committing Scientific Misconduct, Dr. Ferric C. Fang, Dr. Joan W. Bennett, and Dr. Arturo Casadevall examine retracted articles indexed by PubMed written by biomedical and life science authors. Their study explored plagiarism, fraud (10-fold increase since 1975), duplicate publication, research error, journal error, other reasons (e.g., unresolved authorship conflict), and unknown reasons. Their study found that most retracted articles were the result of misconduct.
In the paper Factors influencing plagiarism in higher education: A comparison of German and Slovene students, Eva Jerad et al. concluded that the field is level among both genders and nationalities. They determined through their study which included 485 participants that digital technology and access to content through the internet was the main driving force. In their paper, they cited three published definitions of plagiarism: "Perrin, Larkham, and Culwin define plagiarism as the use of an author's words, ideas, reflections and thoughts without proper acknowledgment of the author. Koul et al. define plagiarism as a form of cheating and theft since in cases of plagiarism, one person takes credit for another person's intellectual work. According to Fishman, 'Plagiarism occurs when someone: 1) uses words, ideas, or work products; 2) attributable to another identifiable person or source; 3) without attributing the work to the source from which it was obtained; 4) in a situation in which there is a legitimate expectation of original authorship; 5) in order to obtain some benefit, credit, or gain which need not be monetary.'"
We have examined several definitions of plagiarism from individuals and organizations within this post. Despite the form of original content format, e.g. PowerPoint, and the manifestation of the plagiarized content, e.g., book chapter, the consensus is if the content is an "intellectual work product" of another without proper attribution to the origin (whether written, spoken, performed or visual), it is plagiarism. While full of ideas, your PowerPoint is not simply "an idea." It manifests the development of ideas and is a completed work in the Audio and Visual format.
Contemporary audiences attending presentations are equipped with smartphone cameras, linked to the internet, and are sometimes actively engaged with social media platforms like Twitter. During or after a presentation, the content of professional PowerPoint presentations aren't confined to a conference or symposium audience. Novel and innovative ideas, images of original research, or unique conceptual content can be instantaneously shared, liked, and re-shared with thousands. This rapid-fire sharing can occur with or without the author's knowledge or consent and thus create research vulnerabilities. However, there are perks, too. Engagement in sharing content immediately with a broad and diverse audience can also be advantageous. Meaningful research connections can be made. Therefore, the potential for unexpected input through new collaborative relationships can foster a robust research outcome.
Above: Images from my presentation, Content and Form: Cajal's Unique Visual Language, September 29, 2017, at the National Congress of Spanish Neuroscience (SENC 2017.) Neuroscientist Dr. Carmen Agustin, Tweeted about my presentation during my talk. In her Tweets, she demonstrated professional etiquette: documented the event, showed the timeline of the ideas in the PowerPoint, and made clear that the ideas were developed from my research. Tweet thread translation, left Tweet: Dawn Hunter comparing the works of Golgi and Cajal: "Cajal draws what he sees, Golgi tries to fit what he sees into his idea." Top right Tweet: "Cajal drew with continuous lines; surely due to the influence of his maternal grandfather, a weaver." Middle right Tweet, where I present my theory "Dürer's influence on Cajal's photos." Bottom right Tweet: Dawn Hunter first recreated Cajal's drawings [through observing the primary source]; then, she has created her own works based on them. Photos and Tweets courtesy of Dr. Mari Carmen Agustin Pavon.
Above: My presentation at SENC 2017 Content and Form: Cajal’s Unique and Inventive Visual Language, September 29, 2017, Alicante, Spain. Photo courtesy of Fernando De Castro Soubriet.
Not all passive observers possess integrity, and some can be opportunistic with the content of your work. Other times, because they viewed it on the internet, people will erroneously mistake your academic scholarship as belonging to the public domain. That is unfortunate, but it is their responsibility to clarify the origin of content before using it. Therefore, taking steps to register for your presentation is a must. It will protect your research and define the source of unique concepts and content if your research makes its way into someone else's work without a proper citation.
Information and Steps to Copyright your presentation:
What does the copyright of your PowerPoint cover? Your content: your expression of ideas (organization, sequence, and context), scripted text that you have written that appears visually on the slide, scripted text you wrote but spoke during the presentation as it appears in your PowerPoint slide notes, and any original figures (jpegs., graphs, tables, etc.) you created for the presentation.
What your PowerPoint or presentation copyright will not cover? Photographs that are copyrighted by someone else or an organization, images that are in the public domain, or scripted text written by or copyrighted by another person, quotes or scripted text from the public domain, and figures where others hold the copyright or are from the public domain (jpegs., graphs, tables, etc.)
How much does it cost? $65.00
- Visit https://copyright.gov/registration/. Select the type of work that you wish to register: literary works, visual arts, other digital content, motion pictures, or photographs. If you are registering a PowerPoint, select Motion Pictures. You will be prompted to login in or create an ECO ID account.
- Check standard application and start registration for one work. (You can register unpublished works in groups or batches, but that is not going to be covered in this post.)
- You will then be taken to the online form. From the drop down menu select the Type of Work, choose Motion Picture/Audio and Visual work and confirm that it best describes what you are trying to register.
- You will proceed to the title sections. From the drop down menu select Title of Work Being Registered and Title of this Work box below, list the title of the work.
- For Publication Completion, check yes for the question if it has been publish before. For example, if you have presented it at a professional meeting or distributed it electronically or publicly on the web. If it is unpublished, check or no. If it has been published, there will be prompts to complete indicating which country and the date. It also has a section to fill in if there is a pre-existing registration number in the event your work was registered outside in a foreign country prior to the United States. If it was presented outside of the United States, but not registered outside of the United States, leave that section blank.
- Check "Add me" for the following categories: List Authors, Claimant, Limitation of Claim, Rights & Permissions, Correspondent, and Mail Certificate. Please note, under Limitation of Claim in addition to adding yourself, you will need to indicate what content is excluded from the registration, e.g., figures or text you have not authored.
- Special Handling can be left blank. However if you are pursuing legal litigation and have a pending court case or other dispute, customs matters, or a contract or publishing deadline, check the appropriate category and explain the reason in the space provided. Keep in mind that Special Handing will increase the cost of your claim by $760.00, thus the total application fee could be as much as $825.00.
- Once the form is filled out you will certify that everything you have submitted is true. You will have the opportunity to review and correct your application. When you complete your review and corrections as needed, add your application to the cart and proceed to check out. You will be taken off site to submit your $65.00 non-refundable payment.
- Once your payment is completed, you will then be able to submit the work that you want to register for review. Select the Submit Work tab and follow the instructions. You can submit your PowerPoint or professional presentation electronically (recommended) or print it and mail in a hard copy of it. If you submit your work electronically, take time to review the specifications for file size restrictions and recommended files. For any type of professional presentation, I recommend a PDF. If you select that you wish to mail in a hard copy of the for review, you will need to select "generate a label." A label will be generated that you must attach to the work you mail directly to the United States Copyright Office.
Singer: Hank Williams, Song Writer: Hank Williams, Your, Cheatin' Heart, A-side Kaw-liga, MGM K 11416-B, 1952. Producer: Fred Rose.
Fang FC, Bennett JW, Casadevall A. Males are overrepresented among life science researchers committing scientific misconduct. mBio. 2013 Jan 22;4(1):e00640-12. doi: 10.1128/mBio.00640-12. PMID: 23341553; PMCID: PMC3551552.
Jereb, E., Perc, M., Lämmlein, B., Jerebic, J., Urh, M., Podbregar, I., & Šprajc, P. (2018). Factors influencing plagiarism in higher education: A comparison of German and Slovene students. PloS one, 13(8), e0202252. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.020225