Jane Poynter: Life in Biosphere 2
TED・14 minutes read
The speaker compares living in Biosphere 1 and Biosphere 2, highlighting the lengthy process of creating a pizza from scratch in the latter. Despite challenges, Biosphere 2's experiment successfully identified and addressed oxygen loss, demonstrating the viability of man-made biospheres for future environmental and space exploration projects.
Insights
- Living in Biosphere 2 involved a labor-intensive process of creating food from scratch, emphasizing the stark contrast in time and effort required compared to the convenience of modern living in Biosphere 1.
- The Biosphere 2 experiment highlighted the delicate balance required in closed ecosystems, demonstrating the challenges of maintaining oxygen levels and the importance of understanding ecological systems for sustainable living, ultimately inspiring innovative solutions for space exploration and environmental conservation.
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Recent questions
What is Biosphere 2?
A sealed world with various ecosystems for experiments.
How long was the Biosphere 2 experiment?
Eight individuals entered for a two-year experiment.
What challenges did Biosphere 2 face?
Oxygen levels dropped, causing health issues.
What was the purpose of Biosphere 2's Test Module?
To test human survival in a sealed environment.
How did the Biosphere 2 experiment impact the speaker?
Led to the development of systems for space exploration and environmental projects.
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Summary
00:00
Living in Biosphere 2: A Comparative Experience
- The speaker lived in both Biosphere 1 and Biosphere 2, allowing for a comparison between the two.
- In Biosphere 2, the speaker made a pizza from scratch, harvesting wheat for dough and milking goats for cheese, a process taking four months compared to two minutes in Biosphere 1.
- Biosphere 2 was a sealed, three-acre world with various ecosystems, including a rainforest, beach, savanna, marsh, desert, and farm.
- The concept of a biosphere was defined as materially closed but energetically open, leading to the creation of Biosphere 2.
- Biosphere 2's Test Module was used to test human survival in a sealed environment, with initial concerns about toxins and bacteria.
- In 1991, eight individuals entered Biosphere 2 for a two-year experiment to test the adaptability of life in a closed system.
- Oxygen levels in Biosphere 2 dropped significantly, causing health issues and the need to introduce additional oxygen due to excess carbon in the soil.
- Despite challenges, the Biosphere 2 experiment was successful in identifying and rectifying oxygen loss, proving the concept of man-made biospheres.
- Upon exiting Biosphere 2, the speaker experienced a disconnect with the outside world, realizing the impact of living in a closed system.
- The speaker's experience in Biosphere 2 led to the development of systems for space exploration, including growing plants on the Moon and Mars, and environmental projects like the mangrove carbon credit program in Eritrea.
13:35
"Leaves build topsoil, attract birds, create oasis"
- By allowing leaves to fall and decompose, topsoil is built, creating a green oasis attracting birds and hawks, showcasing the potential for a lush environment if people discard rakes and embrace nature.
