Four men and four women have been locked in a closed space for two years. What does the failure of the "Biosphere II" experiment mean?

However, in order to realize interstellar migration, it is definitely not enough to be able to board a new planet. The interplanetary environment is complex and can't be exactly the same as the earth's environment, and human beings have long been used to everything on the earth. How to rebuild an environment suitable for human survival on a new planet is also an important topic.

In order to verify whether humans can build a new environment and live in it, American scientists made an exciting experiment: "Biosphere 2". Once successful, it means that human beings are gods and have the ability to rebuild the earth.

Biosphere 2 experiment is a closed artificial ecosystem, with a construction cost of 200 million dollars and an annual demand of 6 million dollars. Covers an area of about12140m2. The main building includes five ecosystems: coastal desert, tropical rain forest, savanna, mangrove wetland and coral reef ocean. There are also two dome-shaped auxiliary buildings, namely the "lungs" of the biosphere, whose roofs rise and fall to adjust the internal and external air pressure difference caused by the alternation of day and night temperatures.

In addition, there is an underground science and technology circle, which is mainly used for the operation and maintenance of the biosphere environment. There are more than 20 air processor units used to adjust the temperature and humidity of the air in the biosphere. It can be said that Biosphere 2 is a small earth, at least that's what people thought at that time.

After the closed experimental base was built, scientists began to recruit experimenters. Finally, after strict screening, a team of scientists consisting of four men and four women was formed, including oceanographers, botanists, meteorologists, mechanical engineering experts and medical experts. It can be said that the lineup is very strong. After the completion of Biosphere 2, in September of 199 1, eight people entered it, which began to attract worldwide attention.

In the laboratory, they need to be self-sufficient, food needs to be planted, oxygen needs to be produced through photosynthesis of plants, and the water they drink needs to be recycled.

On the first 10 day of the experiment, a scientist cut off his finger during the operation because he could not use the threshing machine, so he had to contact the outside world to dress the wound. According to the original plan, after they go in, they can't open the door to the outside world for two years, because opening it basically means failure. However, they continued the experiment.

Not long after, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the laboratory is getting higher and higher, while the concentration of oxygen is getting lower and lower. They gradually find it difficult to breathe and have to contact the outside world again to let the outside world inject oxygen to survive.

They solved the problem of oxygen and faced the problem of hunger. Among them, the crops planted are single and limited, and there are problems such as pests and diseases. Poultry such as chickens and pigs also eat fast. I have been hungry for the first six months, and my average weight has dropped 16%.

Apart from these, the most serious problem may be getting along with others. According to an article published by one of the participants, Jane poynter, eight people were divided into two groups after living for six months. Although the two groups work together, they can't live in peace. It is inevitable that men and women are jealous of each other. If the long-term physiological needs are not solved, it will inevitably lead to more grumpy temper.

In the end, the experimenter faced with a series of problems could not bear it. As two experimenters came out by forcibly destroying the gate, the experiment completely failed.

There are many reasons why the experiment failed, such as poor oxygen circulation. Later, it was analyzed that oxygen was absorbed by the concrete structure, and too many microorganisms in the soil also converted a large part of oxygen into carbon dioxide, which destroyed the balance.

Another example is the interpersonal problems and class problems faced by a small society. They are faced with a seemingly unconstrained primitive society, but they can't get rid of the shackles of law and morality like the primitive society. Without a clear class, it is difficult to form a consensus, which will naturally lead to various uncoordinated contradictions.

Although the experiment failed, it also gave us a lot of enlightenment: nature is not as simple as we thought, and in the complex and huge system connection, maybe every breeze is indispensable to life; Only when human beings know how to conform to nature and cherish everything in nature can they develop continuously with everything on earth.

If the experiment fails, we can start again, but if it is a real battle, the result is unimaginable. Instead of pinning our hopes on the vast universe, we should cherish the beautiful earth in front of us. It is very likely that there is only one home for human beings in the vast universe, and only treating and protecting her is our real way out.