Week 2 Video reviews

1)   The key concepts of both videos:
    a) Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts thought it was important to see beauty in all of art.   I discuss this more in question 3.
    b)  CARTA: neurobiology believes that people's response to art is a neurological brain reaction.   I again discuss more in question 3.

2)  I like Plato's contribution way back in the 5th century BC.  He did a lot with what little technology he had to describe and push the arts ahead, in backward and violent times.   He said about art: "there is a beauty by which all things are beautiful".  He believed in the erotic appeal of beauty, but he had a low opinion of art in a traditional sense.  Regardless, he set the stage for future philosopher's theory on art. 

3)  Changeux vs. Ramachadran
    a) Changeau thinks art is a human artifact, a non-verbal type of language that humans naturally possess.  That art that we have inside us is constantly evolving, and evolutionary process, deep in our consciouness. Art has a aesthetic efficacy, or effectiveness, depending on our consiousness.  He also did some brain imagary studies which were interesting.
   b) Ramachadran was a good speaker, a lot better than Changeux.  Ram believes that human response to art is a neurological brain response.    Sensory brain reactions occuring give us art appreciation.   He has 8 laws of aestethics:   grouping; peak shift principal; contrast; isolating single cue attention; perceptual problem solving; symmetry; abhorrence of unique vantage points; art as a metaphor.   He explained each of his points.  The point i liked best is when he explained why some beauty marks on the face are attractive and unattractive, using symmetry as the reason, it was a good demonstration.   I did not like what he said about idiot savants could do art.

4.   The videos were very good, way more in-depth than the textbook.

5.   Overall I liked the videos and they add to the class.  But the first one with Changeux was difficult to understand, and was not easy to download on my computer.   The Ram video was off YouTube, and came in loud and clear.   The Changeux seemed way too long to sit through, but the Ram video seemed to go by quicker, and was easier to watch...that's the different styles of the 2 presenters.