Biosphere 2: The Martian Colony We Made on Earth... And How it Went Wrong

[@megaprojects9649]

Get Surfshark VPN at Surfshark.deals/mega and enter promo code MEGA for 85% off and 3 extra months for free!

[@brynhocking1980]

How about a video on The Large Hadron Collider

[@Katniss218]

No

[@better.better]

For Business Blaze: this Escobar company that MKBHD has done a couple of scam PSA videos on might be a good topic, especially if you're going to the history of the guy (be prepared to use the "allegedly" meme) apparently what they do is send out review models to Tech KZbinrs for publicity, but nobody who buys it ever receives it, and the payment method on their website is nonrefundable

[@dirgecry2047]

Ever thought of doing one of these, or possibly a Geographics video, on Cheyenne mountain/the Cheyenne mountain complex?

[@whoshotdk]

Coming soon: A video about how the rise of VPN's in 1st world countries have forced companies to up their prices in 3rd world countries to recoup their costs, thus creating another digital divide between the poorer denizens of those countries who can no longer afford the services they used to have. Maybe? ;-)

[@kevinstrout630]

Oh man, I live close by so I've been several times, and its even more impressive than it may sound at first glance. First of all, I want to point out that a 10% air loss per year is far, far more tightly sealed than even the international space station and is a leak rate a martian base would probably have to strive for. Also he never mentioned the Lungs! Those two huge domes you see to the side of the main building are not actually for habitats, instead they contain enormous rubber membranes that can rise and fall to regulate the pressure within the biosphere (You get to go inside them as part of the tour, it's pretty awesome). The pressure differentials were a problem less because of the effect they had on the humans, the much greater concern was that on the scale of this building even a relatively minor pressure drop would blow out the glass. And for takeaways, The drop in oxygen is actually very interesting, because while it was caused by microbes in the soil, it shouldn't have been a problem because the carbon dioxide should have regulated them. What they actually found (and honestly one of the more potentially important takeaways) was that the concrete in the substructure was absorbing huge quantities of CO2, a process that was never considered. And one last cool story, when the U of A purchased the site and started renovations, they actually found some surviving species of the original fish in the ocean, which had not been maintained for almost 20 years. It isn't a closed system anymore, but I still highly recommend it to anyone who visits Arizona!

[@togribble]

Ditto. So cool. The lungs and the fog desert are my favorite.

[@Tommy2shoe811]

Kevin Strout the whole thing is very cool it’s just such a shame they hired Steve Bannon of all people to run it.

[@bglenn2222]

This info is awesome! Thank you for adding to the video!

[@rhino5551212]

Yep, were up in Phoenix and the 5th graders go in luxury coaches there every year, it's the best thing IMO that the PTA does with fundraisers. They spend all day. I'm going to chaperone the last kiddo next year (hopefully).

[@sarasmr4278]

TIL, thanks! 💜

[@andriesoliviier9529]

"Day 5 without caffeine... the murders will start at noon."

[@bjw4859]

Noon !,really !, coffee is why dawn is allowed to happens, noon is when the bbq's start, pretty sure ale & single malt will be in full flow by then.

[@walterlyzohub8112]

Coffee helped start the Industrial Revolution. It kept us going in the modern age. Though without it they could end up with slower metabolisms and use less food and oxygen?.... For me, Keep The Daily Coffee and a burger on the side per week (different burger each week to keep from getting tired of the same taste). These days I would include a few farming robots to help. What do you think?

[@jesperFrost]

Well that’ll be you! In my surroundings it would be more like early afternoon on the second day!

[@DarkZodiacZZ]

No doubt one of the more cruel experiments by the Vault-Tec.

[@albussr1589]

I need Books to survive

[@haydonekstrom1558]

Hey! I used to work there. The extra 20 minutes was because they didn’t anticipate the nearly 3,000 people out there to watch them come out, and because their skin was tinted, they had someone come in and do their make-up before they came out.

[@3xfaster]

Tinted? As in tanned or pale, or some abnormal color?

[@jaypaint4855]

@@3xfaster some food they ate a lot of caused a skin condition because of carotene content.

[@jaypaint4855]

@@3xfaster it’s known as Carotenosis.

[@TheDennys21]

​@@jaypaint4855 they turned into carrots.

[@phoenixsixxrising]

"you are super important!" I believe the coffee has been sipped again!

[@cristopherpeloquin3657]

I thought i was the only one who heard it

[@starrywizdom]

It creeps me out...

[@hosermandeusl2468]

I love his closing statement. We always applaud the winners who learned from others failures. The importance of failure when learning something new is learning what DOESN'T work. It is better to try & fail than not to try at all.

[@Wraithfighter]

Not only what doesn't work, but *why* it didn't work. This is the sort of science where failure can be so much more illuminating than success. The goal is not to succeed, after all, the goal is to learn, and you can learn a lot from things going wrong.

[@bushmanPMRR]

It's obviously better to get it wrong 'down here' than 'up there' on Mars or the like! When something goes wrong it will be investigated to a far greater degree than if it went right which, at the end of the day, is still a nett increase in knowledge.

[@JackSparrow-re4ql]

This isn't one of those situations where we learned much from our failures. This stupid biosphere is a testament to our human hubris; you can't replicate nature's oldest natural experiment. It's stupid to try, and it's unnatural. Hundreds of space gasming morons like you drool over the biosphere and space archology concepts; which will never become a reality and will always end in failure. Life on earth is a miracle, not in any religious sense, but a miracle none the less. Its never going to be replicated anywhere else.

[@Dhhtyu4566]

Id rather just succeed

[@Supraboyes]

@@JackSparrow-re4ql well said, these morons think this going to be on Mars. No chance I wish they would wake up.

[@williamozier918]

I worked for the Arcosanti project between 2000-2005. During that time I went to BS2 a few times, and got the professional courtesy behind the curtain tours. Years later I wrote a news article about the travesty that was the concept of Biosphere Estates, where they were going to demolish the project and build a standard housing subdivision, fortunately that never happened. I alwys thought the only "failure" of the project was that they tried to hide data they found unfavorable.

[@birdofprey_bird]

"Mars 500" is the name of the project, where a couple of people were locked in a simulated spaceship. But it was mostly to see how humans would react to long flights and not so much about a biosphere on a different planet.

[@RamblingRodeo]

Wasnt it Russian experiment? They found that certain types of ppl coudlnt handle it, they found which ones could and couldnt.

[@ReZpawner]

If only Simon had another channel he could do a story about that on. Shame he only has this one...

[@RamblingRodeo]

@@ReZpawner LOLOL, yeah i think he has like 12?

[@birdofprey_bird]

@@ReZpawner True, maybe he could "just" launch another channel for this topic. I am sure he starts narrating new channels in his sleep by this point.

[@ReZpawner]

​@@birdofprey_bird just waiting for "I'm Simon Whistler, and this megaprojects video is brought to you by my other channel, Miniprojects. If you're interested in megaprojects, but at a smaller scale, it might be the channel for you".

[@eastcoastartist]

I have watched a few studies where they followed people who tried to live in a community. Every time, the people stayed hungry and were absolutely plagued with aggressive fighting. (See Frontier House and Colonial House)

[@icecubes_for_the_boiling_frogs]

I worked on biosphere 2!! Not the original construction, but a repair project 8 years ago.

[@GorgeousMerc]

So cool

[@gong1616]

did you see any roaches?

[@icecubes_for_the_boiling_frogs]

In southern Arizona, roaches are everywhere that isn't in the sun

[@JLHunter61]

@@icecubes_for_the_boiling_frogs Ha! In Palm Springs, they hang out near the pool and sunbathe. And they are so big that no one dares to tell them to go away!

[@icecubes_for_the_boiling_frogs]

@@JLHunter61 we have those too, though most of them are Palo Verde beetles

[@warrenmiller1137]

I think the project you were thinking of was BIOS-3 in the soviet union. They used algae to recycle air and most of the water, but used stored food instead of growing their own. The longest mission in it lasted 180 days.

[@zmanjace1364]

This sounds like a really neat project though. And I wouldnt call the first run a failure. They should have known there would be a ton of problems on the first run and used that information to improve and iterate. They went into the first study expecting to test one thing but found out they should probably focus on other factors first. Could have been really informative.

[@Brakiri]

I agree with the assessment that this was NOT a failure, not at all. They learned a great deal. From a technical, environmental AND from a psychological standpoint! What has been learned in these 2 missions will be very helpful for the construction and composition of personell (psych eval and things you need to take with you to keep your sanity) of moon or mars bases!

[@claudec2588]

I've occasionally wondered what happened to this experiment. Thanks for the update.

[@MTTT1234]

Another problem that they aparently faced that trees were unable to grow beyond a certain height, before they simply fell over. It was later revealed that the trees were lacking wind, which aparently was needed for plants, because they needed to be put under certain stress levels (physical one, not mentally) to grow strong enough to carry their own weight. I read online that this is aparently an inssue that indoor weed-growers have known for decades, yet the scientists in Biosphere 2 did not.

[@craighinkle9836]

BioDome 3, The Return of Pauly Shore.

[@andyb1653]

That movie was more successful than this experiment

[@open_world_media]

Oh heyyyyy buuuuudddy!

[@olliehunt79]

And let's be fair, that film was amazing-ly bad (but that's why I love it so)!

[@craighinkle9836]

@@olliehunt79 Ya, it was, and like you, I loved it. Gotta love the Weasel.

[@GeorgeVCohea-dw7ou]

It must contain a cameo by Alec Baldwin and Joey Lauren Adams! Adam and Stephen Baldwin would be nice additions too.kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ-cc5iEbbN1l6M

[@jmcasler1512]

I remember reading about this as a child in elementary school then got to visit it in 1997. It’s impressive and at the time, it was already rusting away.

[@14rs2]

Can you do a video on ITER or the large hadron collider? That would be cool to learn about and their future plans also

[@juanstepbehind]

Yes! One of the most impressive things ever built hands down

[@otakuman706]

Yeah, I think one on ITER would be great. As would one for the LHC. Both could also have sizeable bits about this history and/or previous 'versions' of them; or if too long these could be split into different videos of course--I think they'd still be pretty good either way.

[@daniellussier62]

Yes ITER a d why it always 20years down the road.

[@JLHunter61]

@@koolaidman4869 In my own humble opinion, I think they should resurrect that bastard and keep building it. With a superconducting super-collider of that size, god only knows what they would learn. And the spin-offs and other monetizable science and physics information that would be learned could be absolutely invaluable to the US's future survival in the high-tech, marketable advancements of "properties" sciences arena. And, as we get more and more into the quantum era, new, and potentially fantastical, quantum properties can be put to use building or creating things of which we can only dream right now.

[@WildStar2002]

Ooh yeah! I'd love to see that!

[@charris5700]

1 cup of coffee per week. "Its beginning to sound like a nightmare" Imagine Simon going savage within the 1st week he's fashioned a speer and hunting chickens like a wild Iceni tribesmen.

[@fvckyoutubescensorshipandt2718]

2:30 I've been locked away in my apartment since 2006. I would say that experiment is a success, since I'm just as crazy now as I was back then and haven't gotten worse.

[@Craftlngo]

I've heard/read on multiple occasions that the concrete used to build the structure hadn't enough time to cure completely and used large amounts of oxygen for it. So the Oxygen was detracted from the air inside the enclosed Biosphere.

[@jefflloyd9319]

Even the Ants dug themselves out through solid concrete....

[@JLHunter61]

Not only that, but the ants also managed to dig a bunch of tunnels where the dirt met the glass and they spelled out: "Help! We're being held against our will in an insane asylum by a bunch of lunatics!"

[@kasession]

@@JLHunter61 LOL!!! I actually started to take your comment seriously until I got to the part where you said they 'spelled out...'.

[@JLHunter61]

@@kasession But they were REAL SMART as far as aunts go. Why, my one aunt is an accountant... Wait, what were we talking about again? Aunts? Ents? Andts? Amps? Angst? Ants? Rants?!

[@sithlorddread8721]

@@JLHunter61 calm your pants!

[@JLHunter61]

@@sithlorddread8721 My PANTS? My aunt's pants? My ANTS' pants?! My ants' rants? My ants' rants sbout my aunt's pants? I'm so lost...!

[@gavynmessenger7024]

I love how he’s asking wether or not somebody could live in a dome for years like I haven’t been doing that already

[@bassett_green]

Your After Effects export bugs are hilarious, but this doesn't compare to "THE COFFEE HAS BEEN SIPPED"

[@aj383]

"You are super important", though...

[@otakuman706]

🤣🤣 That previous bug was pretty fantastic, I gotta say.

[@leakingamps2050]

THE COFFEE HAS BEEN SIPPED

[@shaneebz5292]

I thought he said nukes are super important lol

[@CrazyBear65]

But, the coffee _was_ sipped, earlier, on his BB channel. I saw him sip it.

[@CChapin831]

Excellent take on Biosphere 2, giving some much-needed perspective without dissolving into drama. In particular I appreciated your concluding comments "Why do we approach mistakes and problems in such a negative way... To call this project a failure is an insult, to both science and to those who took part... Look past the negativity and you'll see one of the most important experiments we have ever done... Thankfully, we have some on this earth who are willing to face the ignominity of failure for the greater good of mankind." Hopefully the cynics had already tuned out by then.

[@JohnnyWednesday]

"We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind..."

[@TheHarrip]

Fuck I'm going to be singing that song in my head all day until I remember the artist and name Fuck OCD

[@Randomness400]

The Safety Dance - Men without Hats

[@stevendelaet2454]

@@TheHarrip try listening to the end of the song (or focusing on it if you can remember it). Earworms are often created by your brain latching onto incomplete information, and wanting to keep reviewing it. Giving it the rest of the information it is seeking will make it easier for your brain to let it go.

[@Its0kToBeWhite]

Maaaaking a filter

[@joesillamanrs7189]

You SOB...Now I have that song stuck in my head...Great movie!

[@Lozzie74]

I like it when Simon chuckles while reciting some key fact. He’d be great to have coffee with.

[@jantschierschky3461]

I remember when construction started and than first team entered. There were daily updates in the newspaper and some magazines. Found the concept fascinating and very informative, studied biology at the time. Unfortunately the great work and findings were buried under the journalistic bs.

[@m2heavyindustries378]

Bunch of hippies running a science experiment -> always a recipe for disaster. The real bs here is the lack of science in this experiment

[@jantschierschky3461]

@@m2heavyindustries378 There were issues, but lots of results that were useful.

[@colemarie9262]

Agreed. How can you consider building a marvel like that a failure? They did what they sent out to do, while the rest of humanity sits on its collective ass. I mean, we know we will desperately need this kind of research at some point - could be in several hundred years, could be in a week. There are dangers we would have no time to prepare for, and dangers we have no way to anticipate. So even with that knowledge, plus watching the terrifyingly increasing rate of climate change, *no one* before OR since has gone as far as they did. No one has even made a serious attempt of this scale. It's just ridiculous to me that the media and public basically turned it into a reality show......and that's how it gets to be remembered.

[@colemarie9262]

@@m2heavyindustries378 .....Hippies? That's interesting, I've never heard scientists referred to that way before.

[@tkdmasterkaos]

Multiple years locked in a dome? People can't even handle a stay-at-home order for a month.

[@Gabriel_PL]

14:57 - 15:02 Simon casually leaks a song from the next Death Grips album, title and all.

[@EricDKaufman]

I AM THE BEAST I WORSHIP!!!

[@NathanRixThroughGlass]

One of the most amazing parts about getting a tour is the scale of the behind the scenes area. It's massive and feels almost larger than the actual biosphere area

[@jasper7750]

So Biosphere 2 turned out to be the first, and very expensive, season of Big Brother... 🙈

[@Hopscotchlemonadespritz]

Aside from the noble, far forward-looking intent and experiments, the project seemed to prefigure reality television by a good quarter-century if one considers only the human drama.

[@JLHunter61]

@@Hopscotchlemonadespritz Oh, to be a fly on the inside walls of the biodome!

[@laurelalexander966]

I was lucky enough that our elementary school choir sung carols to the biosperians for Christmas when they were a year in...I lived in a small town called Oracle, which wasnt very far away...we were so happy to do it. Thank you for the video :)

[@malenyluna5275]

Hi from Tucson!

[@robertorojnic4370]

Amazing work Simon; educational, informative, and funny delivery.

[@mousermind]

One thing Simon glossed over was the reason the duo broke in. They felt the change in management posed a risk to the project and those inside, and broke in to warn the team. It was still idiotic, but at least there's context.

[@nathansmith116]

I used to live a few miles from Catalina mountain reserve. Went to biosphere a few times, it is a really cool place to visit.

[@jevinday]

I live in Chandler, I'm only 2 or 3 hours from it. I have no idea why I've never been! I've lived here my whole life.

[@TechGorilla1987]

@@jevinday If you're heading down that way, spend the second half of the day at Davis-Monthan AFB and the airplane graveyard. I touched one of the SR71 Blackbirds there. Great place!

[@nathansmith116]

@@TechGorilla1987 my wife worked for a vending company in Tucson, she used to refill all the machines at the graveyard and AFB.

[@benpeters5851]

@@nathansmith116 the airplane graveyard is not what it used to be though, it's actually shrunk in recent years

[@RCaIabraro]

Great epilogue, Simon. We learn more from our failures than from our successes. It was a first ambitious attempt that provided a treasure trove of invaluable information. I think history will be kinder than its contemporary critics.

[@joeyr7294]

"Guys, how bout you pump in some steaks," lmao that really made me lol! Please do a vid on White Rock Copper Works in Swansea, South Wales. And as always keep up the hard work!

[@BlacktailDefense]

I visited Biosphere 2 in the late 1990s, and more than anything else I remember two things; 1- The tour guides, placards, and pamphlet all went to great lengths to tell everyone who perfectly sealed-off the environment inside the buildings was from the outside environment. 2- The trails of ants I saw outside the buildings that went inside, and vice-versa.

[@sophiecat2161]

Research has to start somewhere and I think it's an interesting project. It takes a specific person to survive in an enclosed space. Hell, 3months of isolation avoiding virus is sending me nuts! Fantastic interesting video as always. Thank you.

[@bullzebub]

introverts might be the future of spacetravel?

[@___LC___]

Hmm...and I became disabled a decade ago and have gone years of total isolation. The virus hasn’t impacted me much at all, I just carry on with life.

[@texasdeeslinglead2401]

Mankind is doing the bio dome three right now , and we are all going batty .

[@MmeHyraelle]

I have absolutely no problem being isolated, the problem is being isolated with other humans, i wouldn't like that :p

[@doclewis8927]

The "you are super important" glitch caught me off guard. LOL. I looked over my shoulder because I thought something was behind me.

[@ShawnChristopher10101]

Simon, as part of those air control systems, are the "Lungs", which are gigantic rubber bladders with metal plates which move when the air is warmed and cooled. They're about the size of a highschool gymnasium, and when you visit now they take you through them. Trust me, you know when they open and close the door because all the air escapes past you. I'm surprised you didn't include any info about them.

[@diegocedeno7262]

When you walk out the lung and the air is pushing out... that was fun

[@ronaldbharvey]

Yes, this was the solution to the natural heating and cooling of the air. They also provided "positive pressure" so that the complex would be at a slightly higher atmospheric pressure than the exterior, thus preventing the "air leaks" from instead sucking in the desert air.

[@markingelin9773]

These lungs were inside the two large low profile geodesic domes.

[@JDWelch-wp6ie]

I, also, live nearby to Biosphere 2, but have only been once. It is very impressive, quite a feat of engineering, planning and execution. If you're ever in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area and have a day to spare, it's worth the trip south to take the tour. Wear comfortable shoes! You're going to do a lot of walking.

[@danieldietsche2954]

As an ex-submariner, I'm sure the social interaction/psychology would be the biggest issue in an extended space travel trip, and planet colonization. Not only will humans get agitated when confined in limited spaces, for long periods, but then add in the natural longing for fresh air of the outdoors, greenery, and the sounds, & smells that come with all of it. After a period of time those simple things weigh on your mind. (As you all may have an idea of, since Covid19 lockdowns) Some of the longing for earth's nature may be somewhat curbed with these artificial climates, and virtual reality simulations... but give me the choice, I'm staying put, till my end of days.

[@FRITZI999]

i didn´t suffer from any issues during lockdown, cause i`m mental stable. People are constantly hooked on being entertained though orthers and interaction with others. What would they do in prison? Creepy how society has turned them into Attention seeking Zombies. I can do pretty good alone and love hiking in the wilderness alone. I also spend Vacations on the road travelling avoiding human interaction where I can. Modern Society is toxic and based on constant entertainment and input. Travel through Nature or work on a Project ALONE, like restoring a Classic car. Days and day in the Garage, alone, just listening to a Audiobook and wrenching. Very relaxing and mind clearing. People should try to be more productive instead of staring at their Smartphones all day long. Enter reality ....

[@danieldietsche2954]

@@FRITZI999 You weren't really 'locked down' if you were out hiking, etc. Believe me, there is a reason the Navy only allows submarine patrols to be 2-3 months long, people need exposure to sunlight, & greenery.

[@FRITZI999]

@@danieldietsche2954 i haven´t been out hiking, etc. ... so what? I have spent my Military time in a Bunker. Yeah! I enjoyed watching all the other freak out and go nuts. Terrible how weak humans are as soon as entertainment and constant supply of input is cut off. I loved to watch. Was kind of a nice social experiemt for me. In Biosphere 2 they had Sunlight, enough space, green environments.... so waht? You Submarine comparison is BS (Sorry). I have visited the Site and wozl love to be locked in there without all this crap going on and a limited amount of people. Easy to avoid all of them and reducing contact down to a professional level.

[@ahulaga8466]

still seems like the human component is the weakest to me.. it's not just that they are going to be in that confined, foreign and unnatural environment but their ability to maintain functional relationships and mindsets.

[@rangichem]

I feel you missed a couple of major things in this video. 1. The big domes aren’t biomes they’re the lungs which regulate the air pressure. 2. There is a huge experiment being run there tracking all the gas exchange and mineral movement in and around the rain forest biome at the moment. 3. During Columbia university ownership they ran a major experiment looking at CO2 levels on the coral reef (which is why it looks so dead now because over 10 years later it still hasn’t recovered). 4. The overall goal of the project wasn’t about space colonisation, they were trying to better understand earth’s systems for application on earth (insights into space colonisation was just a bonus).

[@damonk666]

I love how the advert i get whilst watching this, is for a retirement home... No thanks, I'm good. Loving the content of all your channels, particularly megaprojects and business blaze, keep up the good work 👍

[@ravensinger5029]

Apparently, you aren't being properly tracked.

[@jayparker9225]

Hey Simon!. Found this new channel a few days ago.. I live them.. They are brilliant videos!. I also watch the rest of the grate work you all do!. This new channel seems to be making me laugh alot too.. Learning and having a laugh!!. Perfect!!. I can see somthing starting to make me notice it like you have different personality for each channel!!. Lol.. Thanks too all of you that put these videos together and all that gose into them.. I find it so easy to relax, learn and enjoy from these channels you guys do, unfortunately im kinda on the lower end of the earnings from work so i can not offer any sort of money to give to these channels but what i can do it like and share but also keep banging on about how good thes channels are with the power of knowledge i now have!!!. 😂... But seriously i do this!. Lol. So thank you again too you Simon and team!.👍

[@jamieking4261]

just as i layed down to go to sleep, this goes up.... perfect!

[@MrJotunar]

Happens to me all the time, I feel ya 🖖

[@XxJAY525xX]

Same happened to me lol

[@JGIB983]

Same here

[@felipenunes5240]

What's your timezone?

[@shaneguitard9238]

Just woke up to it, lucky me

[@BigD-jc6rj]

I don't know how Simon Whistler does it, but I'm glad he does. I discovered "Today I Found Out" a few years ago, "The Casual Criminalist" a few months ago, and now this channel. That being said, it sounds to me like a planet with carbon dioxide would provide options to mitigate oxygen loss. It could be pumped in from the outside, and then run through an elektron device to liberate the oxygen (This is what the ISS uses to convert carbon dioxide back into oxygen.) Mars and Venus both have atmospheres made largely of carbon dioxide, although neither are ideal. Mars has a thin atmosphere and any biosphere would need radioactive shielding. Venus would have to be colonized in the upper atmosphere, about 50km above the surface (in a balloon city, or "cloud city"), and any carbon dioxide brought in would have to be "scrubbed" of any sulfuric acid brought in with it. Of course, both still have the challenge of keeping the little "bubble atmosphere" at roughly 78% nitrogen.

[@gg5115]

Lol Steve Bannon running the crunchiest granola hippie project ever.

[@Steven_Edwards]

He really is a renaissance man that doesn't get enough credit for the diversity of his fu*kery.

[@beebeb3524]

I'm amazed you have so many viewers by just making videos of you talking about existing videos. The bio2 documentary is just on here and shared everything you repeat.

[@Deino-1]

I actually spent a week living at Biosphere II attending a Critical Thinking workshop run by the University of Chicago. This was several years after the failure of the experiment. It was an amazing experience.

[@maxroseyearu6302]

cool!

[@alexv1129]

Honestly, all of this makes colonization seem more and more promising. While there will always be some leakage and psychological issues, such things tend to become less and less of an issue as you scale up and consider supplementary systems. As we approach our age of colonization, we're inherently going to improve technologies and gradually increase space travel occasions - while Mars is a 6 month journey, I'd imagine by the time we have a colony starting, we'll be looking at sending ships every 1-3 months - meaning the colony would be regularly replenished with supplies, and stockpiles could be built up in anticipation for seasons and spontaneous failures. With more experiments like these, we'll discover more and more about how we can efficiently start, build, and expand colonization efforts. This is really cool stuff!

[@Katniss218]

"You can ask superimp- you can ask superimp- you can ask superimp- you can ask superimp-"

[@peten2956]

Wait, isn't it "you are super importa-"?

[@finlayhumberstone8137]

@@peten2956 yup

[@CrazyBear65]

_SuperPimp_ The pimp to the stars... Wait, that was that Jeff Epstein, wasn't it? That dude they offed in Rikers in order to silence him before he could spill the beans on all his high-profile clients...

[@Tripskiii]

I just realized this is why BioDome was made as a movie with Pauly Shore, such a good movie man. Nostalgia to the max

[@rodziegman]

Hey, I remember this one. They tried to use cigarette butts as an air filter and used that safety dance song to drive Pauly shore out!

[@PaulsGarage]

Came here for Pauly Shore comments and I was not disappointed

[@kevieboy420]

Where's the purple sticky punch?

[@rodziegman]

@@PaulsGarage couldn't resist, I bet simon hasn't seen it.

[@jcavenagh]

Yeah, Simon has seen almost none of the movies produced since 1950, right? :-)

[@kevieboy420]

@Skunk Ape lol

[@calichef1962]

I remember Biosphere very well! My son had just started kindergarten and I used to drop him off at school and then go out to breakfast with some of my friends. Back then I could get a "short stack" of 2 pancakes served with four rashers of very good bacon, and a bottomless cup of coffee for $3. Good times! But every morning we did this breakfast gathering I bought a San Francisco Chronicle and I read the Biosphere updates, journals and statistics in the newspaper. Sometimes I was the only one who showed up and those days I often lingered over the never-ending coffee to read the entire newspaper. It was also the same year as the Lomo-Prieta earthquake that collapsed part of the Bay Bridge and pancaked a double-decker freeway in Oakland. Terrible loss of life. All because SF and Oakland were playing each other in the World Series, or at least that's what one of the "attempted jokes of distraction" suggested. (For the non-sporting, but curious types: The World Series is is a series of up to seven baseball games, first to win four games wins. The games are played between the top two most winning baseball teams in the US and Canada to determine who is best.)

[@maclennanld]

coffee once a week, sounds like a good route to misery

[@shaneebz5292]

Only if its been sipped

[@AvoidTheCadaver]

I would have killed myself after the 1st week.

[@Pikrodafni]

Life without coffee is not worth living.

[@CrazyBear65]

I can't speak for anyone else, but depriving _me_ of my daily coffee would likely result in me breaking out, breaking out windows, breaking out doors, breaking out other people's teeth...

[@Pikrodafni]

@@CrazyBear65 ...and murdering someone! ;)

[@hulkhoganjr.5364]

I live about 30 minutes from bio-sphere 2. It’s crazy to tour! When i was about 17 I got to go into the “lungs” and were able to pull on the diaphragm. They have some cool space living exhibits in it.

[@torsi10]

Do Tokyos flood protection system please!:) Great channel(s), thanks!

[@hannahp1108]

I don't know how it could be called a failure when it STILL provides an educational opportunity

[@jonathanorlando1294]

Did anyone else watch this video expecting more Pauly Shore references?

[@DrPlatypus1]

I remember when I first heard about this place as a kid. For years I tried to find a documentary or something about it, but there wasn't anything out there about Biosphere II that I could find. This video is FANTASTIC. And damn man, you motivate me on a daily basis to be more productive. Cheers to you, and congrats on all the success! (And of course to your crews too- all around fantastic work guys.

[@therickson100]

As a retired US Navy sailor, I always find these "experiments" dealing with how people living in isolation will get along rather stupid. Has anyone ever heard of this thing called a submarine?

[@SeanGilbertson]

That was only one of multifarious reasons to do this grand experiment. It’s engineering, it’s biology, it’s ecology, it’s agrology - it’s so many things. Did you read about the ‘lungs’ of the building? They probably learned priceless lessons just designing and building this thing.

[@Redmanticore]

well, a colony on earth is more modular and can be bigger, things can also be easily added into it as the experiment progresses. a submarine is just a solid hunk of metal at sea, even if the largest sub, like the typhoon class, is larger than an international space station. but sure, when it's just about living in isolation, then a sub would be okay. maybe those "big brother" types of reality tv shows will rent a submarine at one point for television, lol. sadly i don't think psychology scientists would have the resources for casual submarine renting. i googled that its like 290k per single night for renting luxury submarine. if its _just_ about being isolated, well, a shack and webcams is all you need.

[@aaronberta3958]

Today I found out: Surious, Mega Projects: Surious with some fun, Business Blaze: Not surious in any freaking WAY and I LOVE it!!!

[@johnlaco2747]

This just sounds like jail with extra steps 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@brandonjc13]

Planetary confinement.

[@ncognitopro881]

I remember this project from High school. It was reported on CONSTANTLY in Weekly Reader (yes, I just dated myself) and Channel One (anyone remember this besides me). I remember the O2 issues. The explanation at the time was that they had forgotten that concrete releases CO2 for several years as it cures.

[@JLHunter61]

But that is patently untrue. Concrete releases carbon dioxide during its PRODUCTION. However, once it Is fabricated into whatever structure, it begins a process called "carbonation" where it sequesters carbon dioxide for the rest of its life.

[@katekat1138]

Weekly Reader! ❤️

[@lel7841]

I LOVED Channel One! At my school it was the only thing that universally everyone to shut the f@ck up. We would even discuss the topics from a episode later in a civilized manner lol. Teachers were confused by its effects on us but wouldn't listen when we told them it was bc the journalists talked us like humans and not teenagers to just be lectured to

[@Mr2Reviews]

"Mission 31" is the one where Fabien Cousteau lived underwater for 31 days.

[@Teknopuls3]

Your closing comments nailed it on the head. Well said and TY for stating it.

[@Lafiel17]

Whenever I hear "the greater good" I repeat it. I've seen Hot Fuzz way too many times.

[@thedarkonestaint6105]

Aye, the grator gud

[@pyrodiscoflash6115]

Bio - Sphere should be the sight of" Survival of the Colony" with the dramatic cast at each others throat with the theory of making a better pizza and delivering it to the nearest outpost with coffee for all, while taking soil samples , and lowering the tolerance a little and making adjustments as they go, and so they can look to improve the next "Colony to the Stars ", ambitious project and people who want to improve, that's always welcome

[@Nightdare]

To quote George Carlin: "I think motivation is overrated. You show me some lazy prick who's lying around all day watching game shows and stroking his penis, and I'll show you someone who's not causing any fucking trouble, okay?"

[@zapfanzapfan]

They missed a trick by not filming every bit of it and putting it on TV. Big Brother 730 days :-)

[@pyrodoll2422]

Kinda got me thinking about Silent Running. Great vid, love your chanel man

[@sdhowe281201]

What about doing a video on Dubai's man made islands? I haven't heard anything about them in years.

[@sailinbob11]

It's an experiment. All about the data really. The fact that it's still in use,and producing additional data, says a lot. As long a as the data isn't corrupt, i say,keep going. Good video

[@TheChris040497]

I like how business blaze is just an alter ego compared to your other channels.

[@davidvoinier6008]

The US Navy did experiments where the locked sailors into a submarine for a long time to see how they would tolerate being submerged in a nuclear submarine for extended periods. Submariners are selected specifically for being able to get alone with their other crewmembers and perform their duties under harsh conditions even before the nuclear submarine came to be. I believe the test period was 90 days without contact with the outside world.

[@airgunningyup]

i guess the real question is , how would this all work in .39 gravity on mars , especially with the livestock

[@michaelkingsbury4305]

I found Biosphere 2 by accident when I visited my aunt who lives nearby. What a treat for a former environmental engineering student. I should have done my program in Tucson.

[@tadecker82]

In the end, the failures come from shoving a bunch of people who are complete narcissists, together, in a large box. 🤔

[@draven4464]

Seems like a win for those who aren't in the project. The world needs less narcissists, or at least to keep them isolated from those who aren't

[@Codraroll]

I don't know, things appeared to go quite well until Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin showed up.

[@studinthemaking]

And not as smart as they think they are.

[@pouncepounce7417]

The big secret is that it is very hard to predict what people will do after one year in a small group limited to an area. And that is why you make experiments in the first place, so they fail and you learn from them.

[@--enyo--]

So... Humans

[@MarshFlyFightWin]

Do you think you could do a video on the Nevada-Class Battleships as both ships had interesting careers. One of which USS Nevada tried to escape Pearl Harbor, fought at D-Day , Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, and survived 2 atomic bombs. I would say that's a mega ship. Amazing videos

[@anguskeenan4932]

19:30 oh Simon stop it you 😂

[@seanmclellan4373]

glad I'm not the only one who heard that lol

[@quinnglaze9920]

This is creepy

[@bbarber6845]

When I visited there in the 90s the tour guide was the best part of it. The BS he threw at us was worth the price of admission

[@ModeratorFriendly]

Given how badly I'm doing just in the current lock down, I'm going to say I would not do well in a project like this.

[@spraakkanon]

Imagine running the biosphere experiment for 2 years and than finding out that an unseen window had been broken all the time making the whole experiment's findings based on tarnished data.

[@jeffborders5526]

"hey guys you're pumping oxygen, why not pump in some steaks?" 😂😂

[@dougwalker4944]

...as a tree hugger....this is your best so far .... love your presentation..... praise to writers and research people

[@69ElChistoso]

The stems were weaker because there were never those occasional strong winds coming from storms. Great video. Mucho like.

[@fr89k]

I love the guy who writes the Ad texts. He always forces Simon to talk about the Hobbit...

[@jordanh5312]

Only 1 coffee a week!! No way, count me out!

[@The_Viscount]

Learning what not to do may be more valuable than anything else. Having unexpected crises on the Earth is better than having them in space.

[@griz3245]

No coffee, no meat, and no coffee. No thank you. And with some of my friends, a portion of the crops would have been in a homemade stil within about 2 weeks

[@PacoOtis]

Whoa! Let us "fix" this planet first! This is a great documentary! Best of luck!

[@danielm6049]

Honestly getting a resupply every 6 months or so would fit. The point was to see if a colony would be doable right? Without expansion in structure and capabilities (manufacturing), I don't think it would have been an accurate test. Yes we learned a lot, but without the means to self maintain the structure and systems it's just a test of a mars mission with the intent of abandoning the station.

[@SeanGilbertson]

I think this is a good point. It strikes me as a sort of ‘phase 2’ experiment; what they learn from the first experiment could inform the next phase.

[@shannonblack3513]

This was a good one man. Enjoyed it.

[@rayceeya8659]

But we did get an awesome movie staring Pauli Shore out of it... Wait a minute... I'm thinking of the Futurama joke that referenced that movie. Ahhh that was good. "Stately Tetrahedron".

[@Grimlock1979]

This project was an inspiration for Big Brother, the reality tv show.

[@eFeXuy]

Not to mention that this was the basis of the greatest comedy of all time: Bio-Dome, with a Pauly Shore that had 25, looked like 35 and acted like 15 yo

[@thrash512]

VIVA LOS BIO DOME

[@alternavent]

Great flick!

[@CameraManBlaise]

PURPLE STICKY PUNCH!

[@quinnzykir]

*Tries to make a filter out of cigarette buds*

[@ManetInAEternum]

@@thrash512 beat me to it lol

[@kaeteaux]

Thank you so much for covering this! I remember the first time I read about it in the Weekly Reader we got in grade school in the ‘90s. This and Ötzi the Iceman were my obsessions and my mom was annoyed by all the magazine clippings I’d hang of both of them everywhere.

[@fletcherlucas7908]

My grandfather who lives in Arizona has actually been here. I'll have to ask him about what it is like inside.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Fletcher Lucas - Hot.