The plasma lab was a place of awe. Filled with loud machines, steel, and concrete, the facility was the real McCoy. Capable of reaching temperatures exceeding 200 million degrees centigrade, the sun is dwarfed by this machine. The facility is certainly an investment consuming nearly enough energy to completely power Westwood. But what are the advantages to having a plasma lab? The machine allows scientists to have complete access to conditions that occur nowhere but in space. Scientists thus have the opportunity to carry out experiments/tests that would otherwise be necessary to carry out outside of Earth’s atmosphere. The connection between art and science is no new concept. As with the rare books collection, this aspect was evident from as far back as the sixteenth century. The collection was definitely the highlight of the day. The books really gave me perspective on what it means to make the connection between science and art. Having background knowledge about both Darwin and Copernicus and learning about their scientific findings, I have always been fixated on only the science and social responses behind their findings. 
However, physically holding their earliest publishings made me realize that in order to fully convey their radical ideas they had to present them through illustrations and literature. History’s scientists have for centuries relied on sketching their findings. Darwin was able to illustrate evolution through his sketches in The Origin of Species. Others were able to map out the human anatomy through their publishings. 