In 1991, eight people walked in a large glass dome in the Arizona desert. Camera crews captured the group as they disappeared into the void. The structure was built by billionaire Ed Bass who hoped to use the facility for research into what it would take to build a colony on an alien world. The philanthropist enlisted a crew of four men and four women to spend two years locked inside the biosphere without any contact with the outside world. In the most American of ways, the event was broadcast to the world. Biosphere 2 became the world’s first reality tv show, and just like every reality tv show, it was dramatic.
The Biosphere 2 Experiment
The Biosphere 2 experiment was conducted to research the viability of an earthlike environment being constructed on another planet. To see how a team of researchers might manage to survive in a distant world, a group of volunteers was locked inside the doors of the biosphere for two years. The experiment’s goal was to allow the people to be enclosed in the walls and live amongst an entirely self-sufficient ecosystem.
At the outset, things were smooth. However, over time issues began to arise. Construction failures began to lead to drastic drops in oxygen levels. A series of disputes separated the group into two factions. Somehow, invasive species even managed to work their way into the experiment. Despite millions of dollars worth of investment, the investigation was, by and large, a failure.
Conclusion
The Biosphere 2 experiment may have been a failure, but much good did come from the study. First and foremost, we now understand many of the most significant challenges with such a living arrangement. Test running a mission to Mars is difficult. Understanding the possible issues in a Mars colony is incredibly helpful.
However, there were other benefits to the biosphere project. The experiment was broadcast across the world and kept viewers glued to the screen to watch what the researchers were doing. This gave a tv executive an idea for the first-ever reality tv show, big brother. This quite literally is the birthplace of reality tv. The University of Phoenix has since purchased the facility. It is being used to create microcosms of natural disasters and learn how to best approach issues like climate change.
Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning and laughing a lot while you do, you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode right now!
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