In the TED Talk below, Jane Poynter discusses her experience living for two years (plus 20 minutes) in Biosphere 2 in the early 1990s. In short, the experiment was to find out how to create a sealed, self-sustaining ecosystem. This was a huge challenge, and ultimately they had to add oxygen to the environment to make it work (more on that in the talk). Poynter talks about the Biosphere 2 experiment in some detail (as much as fifteen minutes allows), complete with lots of photos and personal recollections about it, including how she turned orange from eating too many sweet potatoes, what it was like living in a low-oxygen environment, and how people smelled in the “outside world” when she finally left the experiment.
Biosphere 2 still stands (near Tucson, Arizona) and science still goes on there, though nobody is sealed inside at the moment. If you’re in the neighborhood, I urge you to take a tour — it’s a stunning place (particularly the underground “Technosphere”). Even if you’re not there, check out b2science.org for lots of info.
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Pretty interesting talk. My only remaining question is how you put up with Pauly Shore for so long. I would be praying for oxygen deprivation…
posted by John on 4-8-2010 at 4:46 pm
Several years ago I thought it would be neat to focus on and develop my sense of smell. I did and now it is too sensitive. I don’t recommend anyone do this. there are way too many scented products available. This along with the willingness to use them. I would rather smell some unsavory temporary things than the chemicals that make my eyes burn, why do we need to cover things with so many chemicals? I fully expect to see the perfume execs come up with a product called defensive perfume: no one will come within 6 feet when you are wearing our product.
posted by Susan on 4-8-2010 at 9:49 pm
I’ve visited bio 2 a few times in it’s various stages. Shortly after the experiment was over and they had opened the compound for tours was the best one I think. They talked much more about the experiment itself, what worked and what didn’t. The one item I always remember is that they forgot about wind. There was no wind so the trees never got strong enough to bear much fruit, and if they did, they weren’t strong enough to hold it up. Oh, and the ants, yikes, there were ants all over the inside that came with some of the imported plants.
posted by monica on 4-9-2010 at 1:08 pm
youve got to pick up every stitch.
posted by dirk alan on 4-15-2010 at 10:53 pm