The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2
Constructed between 1987 and 1989 and costing more than $200 million, Biosphere 2 was an experiment to test if and how people could create, live, and work inside a closed biosphere while carrying out scientific experiments. It explored the possible use of closed biospheres in space colonization, and also allowed the study and manipulation of a biosphere without harming our own. Problems plagued the experiment from the beginning–lack of oxygen, low food supply, and psychological problems such as hostility and paranoia led to an early end of the experiment. Was it a success or a failure? What lessons were learned that can be used in either space travel or to create a more sustainable community on Earth?
Speaker Details
Jane Poynter was one of the eight people sealed inside Biosphere 2 for two years, and her preparation for that experiment included ecological and survival training in the Australian Outback, sailing a concrete boat across the Indian Ocean, and diving on a shark breeding ground in the Red Sea. While inside the Biosphere, Jane co-founded Paragon Space Development Corporation, which designs spacecrafts as well as developing life support systems for astronauts and Navy deep sea divers. Jane has had experiments in self-sustaining habitats flown on the International Space Station, the Russian Mir Space Station, and the US Space Shuttle. Paragon is currently using their Biosphere 2 and aerospace expertise toward the design of “green” buildings.
- Date:
- Speakers:
- Jane Poynter
- Affiliation:
- Founder, Paragon Space Development Program
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Jeff Running
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