After being introduced to the topic of BioMedia, we were challenged to notice some of the ways it has effects on our daily lives.
Interaction One
One of the more obvious ways that I see BioMedia in my everyday life now is with my dental implants. Originally, I didn’t quite understand how this wasn’t just a mechanical experience. It took me going into the oral surgeons office and having them work with the actual implants to realize how fused to my body and a part of me they were. The implants are still going to be healing with my jaw bone for the next three months, as this is a relatively new procedure, so I expect that the feeling of them just being part of me will get stronger as my jaw bone does.
Interaction Two
This past weekend a friend and I went up to the mountains for a ski day at Winter Park, and with it being a Friday during COVID Season, the lift lines were pretty empty. This set up a fun day of having the mountains to ourselves… or so we had imagined. Up ahead in the middle of one of the runs was something small moving around. I made sure to point out what I saw to my friend and move closer before we bombed down. The creature wasn’t fleeing as I approached, leading me to believe it may be injured or lost. When I finally made eye contact with the tiny squirrel (after mistaking it for a chipmunk due to its size), it seemed to say “hello” and “I am doing okay!” without running in fear from me. The interaction was short lived, but enough to remind us that while we are on mountain, we are using someone else’s home.
Interaction Three
One of the initial thoughts that was triggered with this topic of BioMedia is how domesticated animals have become immensely popular, making it almost weirder if you don’t have a pet at home. This has always made me one of the ‘weirder,’ but only because if I spend more than 2 hours in a room with a cat or dog, my allergies become unbearable and uncontrollable. Even my friends with certified hypoallergenic pets have to come to my place if we want to spend time together because it doesn’t make a difference for my allergies.
Based on recent research, pets have actually been proven to be incredibly beneficial to human livelihoods. This causes a conflict for those with allergies, as they are unable to receive that easy life boost. As it is 2021, I find it surprising that we are creating novel devices based off of animals and experimenting with genetic splicing while there is still demand for something as ‘available’ as a pet due to them being inaccessible to people with allergies.
Interaction Four
Vivarium (2019)
biosignatures
Interaction Five
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
inferior species
Interaction Six
Interaction Seven
Interaction Eight
