Elsenaar and Scha Article

The Elsenaar and Scha Article is a very fascinating piece. The experiments mentioned in the article are really out there. I had never heard of most of them but they were rather fascinating. I think the very idea of the human body as a conductor is interesting. I knew the brain had electrical neurons (or something like that) but this was very interesting to see what they did to the human body in 1700s and so on. 

Now those experiments were intersting, but the whole animal electrocutions are a completely different matter. I knew animal testing existed but I had never known electricity was ever involved in the experimental process. While that portion was shorter compared to the other sections it really spoke the most to me (as I love elephants and other animals). That being said, the experiments on already dead animals was interesting — the whole part where the scientist discovered that a frog’s legs will contract if a circuit between the leg muscles and spine are closed. 

Also I found the experiments in regards to cadavers (they call them beheaded criminals) and the experiment regarding artificial emotional expressions were pretty cool. I’m sorry this experiment was worked into the asylum system with shock treatments.

Finally, I found the variety of electric related performance art weird but oddly interesting. It makes my skin crawl slightly to think of pumping electricity into my body just for the sake of art. It is just weird. I mean research is one thing. We do need to know more about the human body to fight debilitating diseases and conditions but I do not know how I feel about performance art. That goes a bit too far in my book. I do not think the university would take it kindly if an artist did that in the Tag gallery — might get sued. But I guess there are a variety of art styles and this is merely one of them.