Exploring Connections Between Cosmos & Mind Through Six Interactive Art Installations in "As Above As Below"
Mark Neyrinck, Tamira Elul, Michael Silver, Esther Mallouh, Miguel Aragón-Calvo, Sarah Banducci, Cory Bloyd, Thea Boodhoo, Benedikt Diemer, Bridget Falck, Dan Feldman, Yoon Chung Han, Jeffrey Kruk, Soo Jung Kwak, Yagiz Mungan, Miguel Novelo, Rushi Patel, Purin Phanichphant, Joel Primack, Olaf Sporns, Forest Stearns, Anastasia Victor, David Weinberg, Natalie M. Zahr
EExploring Connections Between Cosmos & MindThrough Six Interactive Art Installations in“As Above As Below”
Mark Neyrinck , Tamira Elul , Michael Silver , Esther Mallouh ,Miguel Aragón-Calvo , Sarah Banducci, Cory Bloyd, Thea Boodhoo, Benedikt Diemer ,Bridget Falck , Dan Feldman , Yoon Chung Han , Jeffrey Kruk , Soo Jung Kwak,Yagiz Mungan, Miguel Novelo , Rushi Patel, Purin Phanichphant , Joel Primack ,Olaf Sporns , Forest Stearns , Anastasia Victor , David Weinberg , Natalie M. Zahr SciArt Magazine, February 2020
Abstract
Are there parallels between the furthest reaches of our universe, and the foundations of thought,awareness, perception, and emotion? What are the connections between the webs and structuresthat define both? What are the differences? “As Above As Below” was an exhibition thatexamined these questions. Conceptualized, curated, and produced by Esther Mallouh, it consistedof six artworks, each of them the product of a collaboration that included at least one artist,astrophysicist, and neuroscientist. The installations explored new parallels between intergalacticand neuronal networks through media such as digital projection, virtual reality, and interactivemultimedia, and served to illustrate diverse collaboration practices and ways to communicateacross very different fields.A short video walkthrough of the exhibition is at https://youtu.be/RM3gDjb3phU , and a panel discus-sion at the opening, featuring many of the authors, is at https://youtu.be/qNhtyvPz8yw . See https://asaboveasbelow.com/ for even more information about the project.
Introduction
The visual similarities between cosmic and neural webs are striking. Fig. 1A shows a single mouse hippocampalneuron with an elaborate dendritic arbor stemming from a central cell body (large green blob); Fig. 1B showsa cluster from a cosmological simulation, in which a whole galaxy like ours would be but a middling yellowdot.However, many networks in the universe exhibit these kinds of visual similarities. For example, otherbiological systems, such as circulatory and respiratory networks in animals, and branching structures in plantsand fungi, appear individually to have nearly maximal fractal dimension, and therefore look similar (West,2018). These features are also evident in networks created by humans, such as traffic in road and air-travel a r X i v : . [ phy s i c s . pop - ph ] A ug s Above As Below SciArt Magazine, February 2020 Figure 1: A . Hippocampal mouse neuron studded with synaptic connections (yellow), courtesy Lisa Boulanger, from . The green central cell body is ∼ µ m in diameter. B . Cosmic web (Springel et al., 2005). Scale bar = 31.25 Mpc/ h , or . × m. Juxtaposition inspired by Lima(2009). systems, and non-spatial networks such as the Internet. See Coutinho et al. (2016) for more about thenetwork-science properties of the cosmic web.With so many types of similar spatial networks to pick from, why focus on cosmic and neural webs? Onecompelling reason is that they are each fascinating on their own: one is the network that is able to reflect onand study itself, and the scale of the other is nearly as big as the observable Universe. It is also curious thatthey are of similar complexity, with numbers of nodes that are within a couple of orders of magnitude of eachother (Vazza & Feletti, 2017).The term “cosmic web” was first coined by Bond et al. (1996). It refers to the network of filaments andwalls of dark matter and gas that connect nearby galaxies, in the standard cosmological paradigm. The cosmicweb exists on multiple spatial scales; there are also filaments of galaxies that connect clusters of galaxies. Thecosmic web, and structural trussworks like spiderwebs and trees, also share a geometry that has been a sourceof artistic inspiration (Ball, 2017). To anthropomorphize: gravity acts like a haunted house explorer, clearingaway flexible cobwebs from cosmic voids and gathering structural elements together into thicker filaments(Neyrinck et al., 2018). The cosmic web moves at an aeonically slow pace in the expanding Universe, set inmotion just after the Big Bang and nearly deterministically forming since then.The cosmic web is not a pathway of communication – the distances are far too great. But the wholepoint of the neural net is communication, on highways under constant construction and remodeling as thebrain processes information and learns. In fact, interneuronal communication is likely to be the driving forcein the evolution of neural webs. Like cosmic webs, neural webs exist on various scales: nervous systems arecomposed of neurons and clusters of neurons that exhibit network organization (Sporns, 2010), dendritesand axons of individual neurons have complex branching structures (Fig. 1A), and each neuron contains amolecular cytoskeleton that is made up of a network of microfilaments.The principles underlying the development of specific neuron connectivity patterns in the neural web,hypothesized originally by the Spanish neuroanatomist Santiago Ramon y Cajal (and still relevant for theoret-ical and experimental neuroscientific studies today) are maximum efficiency of communication and meetingthe metabolic challenge of making and supporting new connections (y Cajal, 1999, original 1899; Wen et al., s Above As Below SciArt Magazine, February 20202009). This leads to neurons that develop morphologies that approximate minimal spanning trees that containa set of nodes that are branch points and/or synapse locations (Cuntz, 2012). Neurons have also inspiredmany artistic interpretations and visualizations (Kim, 2015; Patel et al., 2017).There are yet more differences between neural and cosmic webs. Neurons have objective physical membraneboundaries, while the boundaries of the filaments and walls of the cosmic web are subject to definition (e.g.Libeskind et al., 2018). Also, each neuron has a defined polarity (dendritic input and axonal output). In thecosmic web, galaxy clusters can locally look like neurons, but there is no analogous polarity, and no objectiveboundaries separating galaxy clusters. Another difference is that neurons have objective centers (somas,containing cell nuclei), but the Universe does not, nor do patches of the cosmic web. Any given region of theUniverse on really large scales looks pretty much like any other large region of the Universe – the large scalearchitecture of the observable Universe doesn’t have any special regions. However, our brains are organizedvery differently – vertebrate brains are networks with clearly identified specialized regions. Art Installations
Chamber of (In)finite Potential
An interactive installation by Purin Phanichphant (artist), Benedikt Diemer (astrophysicist), and Natalie Zahr(neuroscientist).
Figure 2:
Chamber of (In)finite Potential , exterior and interior view. Photo credit Wendy Leyden.
In this piece, we consider a fundamental similarity between the cosmic web of dark matter in the Universeand the complex connections of the human brain: the Universe has the potential to form a nearly limitlessnumber of structures (such as galaxies); brain cells have the potential to form a nearly limitless number ofconnections. However, both the Universe and the brain have – at this point in time – achieved only a fractionof their potential. s Above As Below SciArt Magazine, February 2020Furthermore, both fields of study are in the midst of lively debates as to whether the current understandingfully explains reality. While we tend to think of the Universe as infinite, the growth of structure within it is not:as dark energy accelerates cosmic expansion, gravity will eventually be unable to overcome the stretching,and structures will be frozen. Similarly, while the abundance of neurons in the brain is limited (at birth, thebrain has almost all the neurons that it will ever have), the number of connections is potentially infinite;nevertheless, the number of connections reaches a peak and then begins to decay with aging.These considerations lead to fundamental questions about the nature of the two systems. Will therebe a countable number of galaxies in the Universe at the end of its life? Is the capability of our mindsfundamentally limited by a finite number of neurons or their connections? These are the kinds of questionswe seek to explore in our installation.The seeming contradiction between the infinite and finite nature is expressed through a six-foot widegeodesic dome that is finite and graspable, but with reflective surfaces within that create an infinite visualfield. When the viewer enters the dome, his/her perspective is from the center of this perceptual field,metaphorically at the center of the Universe and self-awareness. The artist aims to reveal the infinite potentialthat exists inside each and every one of us, and that our existence, both in the neural and cosmic realms, areone and the same. Natural Science
An interactive installation by Thea Boodhoo (scenery design, concept), Cory Bloyd (interactive design, con-cept), Yagiz Mungan (sound), David Weinberg (astrophysicist), and Dan Feldman (neuroscientist), withcontributions by Gary Boodhoo (concept), James Morgan (concept, materials), and Lyn Collier (feltwork).
Figure 3:
Natural Science , showing fox sleeping with screen above. Photo credit Wendy Leyden.
Natural science, or the scientific study of nature, includes ecology, biology, geology, and physics, as wellas cosmology and neuroscience. This surpasses the everyday meaning of nature, going far beyond wildlife and s Above As Below SciArt Magazine, February 2020forests to include the farthest reaches of the Universe, as well as the deepest inner workings of the mind.It could be concluded, from this point of view, that all endeavors of natural science are in fact naturestudying itself. This piece invites you to broaden your definition of nature, and what you consider natural,dramatically. Don’t forget to include yourself.The Science: What do the brain at rest and the cosmos at rest have in common? Science finds thatboth are surprisingly active. Brain waves cascade from sleeping brains; gravitational waves flood the quietestregions of space. Dan Feldman studies how our neurons process, and often create, what we experience. Hisongoing research inspired the setup of our “experiment,” as well as a question: could we someday step intoanother being’s dream? What would we encounter? One answer comes from astrophysics. Every brain, andso every dream, is part of the cosmos – David H. Weinberg’s specialty. His research asks: How do galaxiesform and cluster? What happens when black holes merge? What was the Universe like before stars, and whatwill it be like when it finally rests?... Will it dream?The Art: A wild fox has chosen a secluded mossy outcrop as a place to nap before getting back to foxbusiness. Little does he know, researchers studying the inner workings of the mind are running an experimentin this part of the woods. Secret prototype devices tune into the dreams of any animal who sleeps here.The fox’s reverie is projected back as sound and vision, and its contents are quite a surprise. Explorers inthese woods will hear massive celestial bodies merging and tiny neuron cells firing. If they approach quietly,they may even influence the fox’s dream – for they, like dreams, are part of the cosmos. I am a Neuron
An interactive installation by Yoon Chung Han (artist), Soo Jung Kwak (artist, sound), Rushi Patel (engineer,software), Jeffrey Kruk (astrophysicist), and Tamira Elul (neuroscientist).
Figure 4: Screenshot of
I am a Neuron . s Above As Below SciArt Magazine, February 2020This installation is inspired by the concept of interactions among neighboring galaxies over cosmic timeand among neurons during development of the brain. In the forming and expanding Universe, galaxies interactthrough gravity, winds, and radiation, whereas in the developing brain, neurons are influenced by mechanical,molecular, and electrical cues from other neurons. I am a Neuron is an interactive WebVR artwork of creative exploration within a virtualcosmic world. Viewers create their own personalized 3D artificial neurons, interact with them, and observetheir interactions. Live feedback from participants controls three factors (gravity, winds, and radiation) tochange the environment and neurons. When neurons collide with other neurons, special sounds are emitted,and changes occur in the neurons such as scale, design, opacity, and colors that visually represent interactionsof actual neurons in our brains.
Figure 5:
I am a Neuron screenshot of an “artistic” neutron.
Through this artwork, participants also explore self-representations that interact with other humans andgrow, die, interact, collide, metabolize, reproduce and emit sounds. The participants choose one adjective thatrepresents their personalities for a virtual 3D neuron. Participants relate to these neuron avatars by observinghow audiovisual representations change through time. The morphing neurons mimic how we are changedthrough environmental factors, social groups, and human relationships. Through this artwork participants canfind personal meanings into what nature is.One factor contributing to the success of this collaboration was that the scientists trusted the artist todevelop an interpretation of this concept independently, without further trying to influence her process beyondthe initial concept.
One in the Universe
A virtual reality experience by Anastasia Victor (artist), Mark Neyrinck (astrophysicist), Miguel Angel Aragón-Calvo (astrophysicist), and Michael Silver (neuroscientist). s Above As Below SciArt Magazine, February 2020 Figure 6:
One in the Universe participant constructing their neuron, reaching out to others. Photo credit WendyLeyden.
Despite vast differences in spatial scale, there is a conceptual link between networks in the brain and thosein the cosmic web: they both contain branching structures that connect neurons and nodes of dark matter toone another. Emergent network properties that arise from connectivity of individual elements are also evidentfor human beings and their relationships.
Figure 7: The full, connected cosmic web from the Bolshoi ( http://hipacc.ucsc.edu/Bolshoi.html ) Simulationin
One in the Universe . Photo credit Wendy Leyden. s Above As Below SciArt Magazine, February 2020 One in the Universe is an interactive installation that asynchronously connects people across time andspace. Within the current climate of filter bubbles and social division, this piece provides moments of intro-spection and connection to others.Participants in this installation navigate through a virtual reality composed of structures inspired by darkmatter webs and the shapes of neurons, and their movements guide the growth of neural branches within thisspace. Participants also provide verbal responses to prompts about their own experiences of feeling connected,and these responses are recorded and integrated into the virtual Universe.The virtual Universe is additive, with each new participant’s movements through the space and theirverbal responses contributing to the growing patterns of connectivity. Participants directly experience thisconnectivity by traversing the virtual Universe and hearing verbal responses of previous participants at specificlocations in the network. Other visitors to the exhibit observe participants’ interactions with the virtualUniverse through a projected image that mirrors the visual experience in the virtual reality headset.A scientific project grew out of this piece, as well: we found preliminarily, and cannot yet explain, thatthe scaling of the total wiring length of the cosmic web with the number of its nodes is similar to the scalingof the wiring length of a neuron with its branch points. They scale roughly with a power law obeyed by aminimal spanning tree, found for neurons by Cuntz et al. (2012). We came upon this relationship throughusing the Cuntz et al. algorithm to grow branches of the neuron based on input from the participant’s hands. voi!drum!emory
An interactive installation by Miguel Novelo (artist), Bridget Falck (astrophysicist), and Sarah Banducci(neuroscientist).
Figure 8: voi!drum!emory close-up, photo credit Wendy Leyden.
A void is not merely an absence, a loss, an emptiness, or a lack, though it can be these things. By callingsomething a void, we give it a life of its own. It becomes a negative space that defines the positive. In theUniverse, voids push matter away, and where they collide with each other, they create the cosmic web, andgalaxies. In brains, the web of interconnected neurons deteriorates due to aging and disease; empty space s Above As Below SciArt Magazine, February 2020 Figure 9: voi!drum!emory close-up, photo credit Miguel Novelo. takes over as the brain atrophies. Both types of voids are not static: they reflect the growing, aging, and dyingof the Universe and the people that live in it. Our team of a neuroscientist (Sarah Banducci), a cosmologist(Bridget Falck), and an artist (Miguel Novelo) explored this connection between brain and cosmic voids overa year of emails and video calls.The collaboration kicked off with Falck and Banducci, two strangers on opposite sides of the country,sharing their love of science rooted in two very different fields. Pleasantries aside, both scientists dove pastthe superficial and into the meat of their respective interests. The first brainstorm ended with a list of fourpotential ideas for overlap between cosmology and neuroscience: density, connectivity, folds, and voids. Bythe end of the second call two weeks later, it became clear that voids would provide the greatest opportunityfor exploration between the two fields.For Falck, voids are exciting because they are the largest structures in the cosmic web – except they aren’tstructures at all. Voids are the emptiest regions of space, and they are growing. As the Universe ages, gravitycauses matter to collapse in on itself and pushes matter away from voids, making relatively empty regions ofspace become even emptier. The aging of the Universe thus grows empty space.On a much smaller scale, Banducci views voids as a byproduct of human aging. In contrast to the cosmicweb, where the force of pulling matter together forms emptiness, in the brain, voids are formed by matterdeteriorating. This deterioration of neurons and connections between them gives the appearance of a shrinkingbrain. Evidence of this atrophy looks different for each individual but translates to characteristic cognitiveand motor impairments in older adults.As an artist, Novelo’s initial thoughts were to materialize the void with objects that might have a void orvacuum. From an empty cylinder, his sketch led to a percussive instrument. Once a drum is hit on the topmembrane, air moves inside and sound waves reverberate in concave space. This sound illustrates a wholenessof the object, the echo, and decay symbolizing the void in a sonic way. Taking the concept a step further,Novelo explored the idea of experiencing a void by sensing the end of reverberation, paying attention to thetime between echoes and the sound fading out. This became the physical representation of the void. s Above As Below SciArt Magazine, February 2020To add an emotional component to this experience, the team considered, “What is left after the void?”Discussing memory in this context, Novelo, Falck, and Banducci came up with poetic voids – remembranceof what is not there anymore. In the cosmic web, what is left could be the photons finally reaching us froman event that happened millions of years ago; in the brain, the rest of our neurons or gray matter are stillintact; and in our memory, previous experiences, nostalgia, and trauma. The art object we conceptualizedand created has the characteristic of activating sound and visual cues that symbolize time prior to the void,rapid decay, and lastly a void surrounded by memory.The final expression of this project should leave the viewer with the assurance that even when there is avoid, some piece of the experience will continue to linger. The Undulating Architecture Illuminating the Individual Sciences
A video installation by Forest Stearns (artist), Joel Primack (astrophysicist), and Olaf Sporns (neuroscientist).
Figure 10:
The Undulating Architecture Illuminating the Individual Sciences . Left: as projected in Manresa Gallery.Right: still image from video; full video at https://vimeo.com/385418604 . As a collective, our team of three spent a good amount of time investigating the superficial similaritiesbetween dark matter of the universe and the neural networks of our brains. After much discussion, wecollectively agreed that the differences greatly superseded the similarities.This being the case, the artist focused on the architectures of both sciences. Using soap bubbles as amedium, the artist found that the undulating bubbles with their walls, filaments, and nodes illuminated thearchitecture of the universe. The relationships between cosmic webs and soap bubble foams has also beenexplored by Aragón-Calvo (2014). The soap running down filaments towards central nodes and into a biggerpool is similar to how impulses move across the neural net. The physical mass of bubbles were an abstractedscreen, projected onto videos that graphically explain the specific sciences. The camera collected the photonsrippling across the bubble field. s Above As Below SciArt Magazine, February 2020 Acknowledgments
MCN is grateful for funding from Basque Government grant IT956-16.The first three authors were primarily responsible for this article as it appears, but all others contributedideas and/or text. Curator Esther Mallouh originated the project.
References
Libeskind, N. I. et al. 2018, MNRAS, 473, 1195, 1705.03021Lima, M. 2009, Brain + Universe,
Neyrinck, M. C., Hidding, J., Konstantatou, M., & van de Weygaert, R. 2018, Royal Society Open Science, 5, 171582,1710.04509Patel, A., Bains, A., Miller, R., & Elul, T. 2017, Journal of Biocommunication, 41Sporns, O. 2010, Networks of the Brain (MIT press)Springel, V. et al. 2005, Nature, 435, 629, arXiv:astro-ph/0504097Vazza, F., & Feletti, A. 2017, The Strange Similarity of Neuron and Galaxy Networks, http://nautil.us/issue/50/emergence/the-strange-similarity-of-neuron-and-galaxy-networks