Color My World

It is possible not only to take pictures of the brain, but also to identify what parts are active at a given time, what stimuli cause activity, and how different regions are interconnected.  This and more was conveyed to me through some of the best lectures to date in Brain Imaging.  While I am not quite ready to perform a lobotomy independently yet, the course provided me with the means to really understand how fMRI is used in modern studies.  At the root of the topic, though, are some colorful pictures of the brain.  In Imaging, colors can communicate critical information about health, neural processing, and cognitive hierarchy.  However, the week past has shown me that colors are integral to every aspect of how we live. 

Stepping out of my dorm, this truth is epitomized by the myriad responses to the new atmospheric briskness, the turning of deciduous trees, the glowing cheeks of the passerby, the mountainous spectrum of garb concealing the school age children hastening both hither and thither.  In the rush of pedestrians crossing the square, there is a fair share of colorful language.  The farm stand on the sidewalk corner boasts a harvest cornucopia of color.

Votes are in: a beauty

Obviously, though, the week would not be complete without some added color.  Budapest has some valuable collections of color, one of which is housed in the Museum of Fine Art, where Eva happens to be a docent.  Not one to pass up a free ticket or tour, I jumped on the metro after class and perused the works of the masters.  Organized by regions, the museum’s collection includes most of the major movements, with contributions by some of the Old Masters, several notable Spanish painters, and even a few 19^th and 20^th century impressionist submitters.  The exhibit was nice, but I didn’t find it remarkable compared with some of the world class collections I have toured until Eva pointed out that the entire museum was nearly destroyed during the second world war.  A few photographs remain of the galleries practically demolished and filled with the snow of January 1945.  It is actually quite astonishing that I have the opportunity to wander among such colorful examples of so many styles of art at all. 

Everyone in the program had the chance to experience another colorful field trip when we toured the Parliament.  The most heavily guarded building in Budapest is also the most ornately decorated.  I could almost feel the wealth and beurocracy rubbing off as I admired the hand-sewn carpets and gold leaf gilded pillars.  The coronation jewels of the St Istvan, First king and pope-recognized bringer of Christianity to Hungary, are also proudly exhibited in the adorned halls.  I learned that the council reverted to a unicameral system in the middle of the 20^th century, but continue to use human stenographers to document parliamentary procedure.  Despite the largess and largeness of hall, the tour did not last very long.  Every year, exactly half of the building is under renovation because of the intense upkeep required of the fanciness.  I will have to come back next year to see the other half!  Still, I saw enough to sate my appetite for color.