BioSphere2

An experiment a few miles north of Tuscon funded by a private organization. It was a structure built in an attempt to build an "earth-like" system to sustain life and constructed iin a size small enough to be put into space (or part of a space program). The structure in AZ was huge, sealed off (theoretically), connected geodesic domes in which various earth systems were replicated: ocean, plains, marshes and I forget what else. In the structure were people (maybe 6 or 9?), pygmy goats, birds, various crops, and fish (possible insects and other stuff).

I went there in about 1996 and found the place fascinating. In addition to the big structure which you could walk around, there were various labs explaining the experiment, and an amazing sculpture garden. The lab produced clones of the plants they had sent into the Biosphere. I bought a test tube Banana plant - a dwarf, which in the banana tree world means it could grow to 9 feet. I still have that tree going and some of it's offshoots. I'll be bring a "baby" to AYE to give to Jean McLendon who requested one.

The experiment was flawed in that BioSphere2 could not produce enough oxygen to sustain life. They tried a cover up, but were busted piping additional O2 into the structure. I don't know what is at that site today.

Earth, by the way, is Bio Sphere 1.

- BeckyWinant 10-04-02

Updated: Saturday, October 5, 2002