If you are locked in a glass house with seven other people and cannot leave the house for two years, this is not the plot of the movie, but the real thing that happened in 1991 in Arizona, USA. The experiment, called Biosphere 2, was originally intended to explore the survival ability of humans, animals and plants in an enclosed environment, and it can be described as a bold attempt by the scientific community. What did eight volunteers, in the self-sufficient miniature Earth, experience?
September 26, 1991, a seemingly ordinary day, was a historic moment for eight brave people. They were selected to participate in an unprecedented experimental Biosphere 2. Set just north of the beautiful city of Tucson, Arizona, this experiment is a massive glass structure that simulates a variety of Earth's ecosystems, from rainforests to deserts, oceans to grasslands.
Behind this experiment is a bold prediction and exploration of the future human living environment by the US government and scientists. They wanted to know whether humans and other organisms would be able to survive on their own by recycling air, water, and food in a completely closed system. It sounds a bit like science fiction, but it does happen.
Over the next two years, the eight experimenters (four men and four women) began their unusual lives. They grow their own food, rely on plants for photosynthesis to make oxygen for respiration, and dispose of all the waste that life produces. Simply they have to be self-sufficient without outside help.
But the ideal is very plump, and the reality is very skinny. What started out was a minor problem, such as a minor injury to a subject's finger, which became difficult to deal with due to a lack of medical resources. Over time, bigger problems surfaced.
The stability of the ecosystem has become a major problem. They found that carbon dioxide levels in the biosphere fluctuated dramatically, which not only affected crop growth, but also worsened pest problems and even threatened the health of the experimenters. The ecosystem, which was originally designed to be almost perfect, still has many unforeseen shortcomings.
As the experiment progressed, there was more and more criticism and questioning from the outside world. The huge investment and potential threat to the safety of experimenters have led people to reflect on whether such experiments are really worth it. Life was not as good as it could have been, and they often felt hungry because even though they had planted a lot of crops, the harvest was still small. In this environment, the growth of the plants is not ideal, and the amount of oxygen produced is not enough to fully meet the needs of eight people.
By the end of the first year of the experiment, the food supply within the biosphere had become extremely tight. The experimenters had to reduce their food intake, and everyone experienced a significant weight loss. It's not just a physical challenge, it's a huge psychological test. The closed environment, repetitive labor, and food shortages have caused them a lot of psychological stress.
In addition to the physical and psychological challenges, interpersonal relationships within the team are starting to become complex. A long period of confined life has magnified everyone's personality and habits, and small frictions continue to accumulate into big conflicts. There have been reports that the team in the middle of the experiment has almost split into two factions, and cooperation with each other has become extremely difficult.
Despite all the difficulties, this group of scientific explorers did not give up. They continue to adjust their strategies, improve how they grow their crops, and study how to use resources more efficiently. Their efforts were not without results, and at some point in the second year, the ecosystem began to appear to function more smoothly, but problems persisted.
The experiment finally came to an end in 1993, and each of the eight people walked out of the biosphere with a profound experience. Their bodies and minds have undergone a baptism like never before. Despite the numerous unforeseen problems encountered in the experiment, valuable data and experience were also provided that laid the groundwork for possible future experiments with ecosystem closure.
Looking back at this experiment, many people began to reflect on what such an attempt really meant: The Biosphere 2 experiment is not only the self-sufficiency of an ecosystem, but also a deeper test of the limits of human survival in extreme environments. In this state of limits, the complexity and fragility of human nature are ruthlessly exposed.
Biosphere 2 is like a mirror, reflecting human curiosity and fear of the unknown world, and challenging and adapting to the laws of nature. This is not only a scientific experiment, but also a profound exploration of the human spirit and survival instinct. Although there are many unsatisfactory aspects of this experiment, it has undoubtedly expanded our understanding of sustainable living and human potential.