Nicole Daskas Blog #6- JPL

NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
Nicole Daskas
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab was an incredible experience. There was so much information and so many events packed into just one day. It was overwhelming to hear about the prospect of life beyond earth, and to see what humans are capable of achieving. It was incredible to see the machinery and robots being built, and comical to hear that occasionally the simple solutions (such as zip ties) are the most effective. 
The most exciting bit of information I heard was Sarah’s presentation. When asked where she thought the best chance of finding life outside of earth was, she answered jokingly, “sea monsters on Europa”. Everyone was very excited about this. Realistically, she explained, the most probable chance would be on either Europa or Io, as they have liquid water oceans on their surfaces. It would be absolutely incredible to one day hear about this discovery. The current missions, such as Mars 2020, are focused on looking for proof of former life on Mars. I had heard about this previously, but never anything about the moons orbiting Saturn and Jupiter. I had absolutely no idea there were oceans on these moons. 
Visiting the Earth Science Center was another experience that stuck with me. Seeing a visual representation of the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere was disturbing. The planet has been completely changed at a shocking rate just in the last 15-20 years. I felt anxiety seeing what is happening, especially after the climate change protests and marches. Knowing that no measures drastic enough are being taken to make real change is very scary. Another video shown in the Earth Science Center was focused on natural disasters. One scientist featured in the video was able to turn an observation he made on a ski trip into an informational study about water supply from snow run off. It was interesting to see how the study was conceived and carried out based fully on a casual observation during a vacation. 
The machine shop was another exciting stop. The tools and methods used there were completely foreign to me; I had never seen anything like them. The water cutter which combined pressurized water as well as powdered garnet was particularly fascinating. I would have never guessed such a solution would make cutting through metal possible. 
Being at NASA was a kind of surreal experience. It at times felt science fiction-esque, as though I was in an otherworldly place. Seeing the models of the rovers and the videos of animations of the solar system made me feel very small, but also made me see the value of visual art in any field. Visuals are extremely important to representing data and serving as symbols, such as in the Earth Science center. Animators and artists are also necessary to provide depictions of discoveries and objects such as the posters and videos seen during presentations. Art definitely had a place at NASA, as it is present and crucial in all areas and fields. 

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