During the 1980s an experiment was created outside the community of Oracle, just north of Tucson. The experiment was to create a totally enclosed biosphere ecosystem whereby humans could exist within a structure on any planet without oxygen. Called Biosphere 2 for the experiment, scientists created an environment whereby humans could exist for unlimited amount of time within the ecosystem with everything they required to sustain life. Eight scientists existed within Biosphere 2 for approximately two years. According to Wikipedia, the biosphere tests the “viability of closed ecological systems to support and maintain human life in outer space as a substitute for Earth’s biosphere. It was named “Biosphere 2” because it was meant to be the second fully self-sufficient biosphere, after the Earth itself (“Biosphere 1.”)
I lived in Tucson during this experiment. It turned out to be a failure. Factions developed amongst the scientists, and a power struggle began, particularly when it was discovered during the first year of no contact outside the ecosystem that one of the scientists had left the system to secure a hamburger. Undoubtedly the reduced oxygen and the calorie-restricted, nutrient-dense diet contributed to low morale. ... A faction feared that another faction were prepared to go so far as to import food if it meant making them fitter to carry out research projects. They considered that would be a project failure by definition.
One interesting development from the experiment was the discovery of the importance of the wind and without wind trees failed to grow. According to travisma.wordpress.com, scientists discovered “The trees inside Biosphere 2 grew rapidly, more rapidly than they did outside of the dome, but they also fell over before reaching maturation. After looking at the root systems and outer layers of bark, the scientists came to realize that a lack of wind in Biosphere 2 caused a deficiency of stress wood. Stress wood helps a tree position itself for optimal sun absorption and it also helps trees grow more solidly. Without stress wood, a tree can grow quickly, but it cannot support itself fully. It cannot withstand normal wear and tear and survive.”
In other words, the trees needed stress to thrive.
I found this information particularly relevant to society today. Bairdpsych.com compared the failure of the tree growth in the biosphere with human resilience. An article by Amanda Baird in 2019 correlates the growing of life within the sphere with the growing of human life. “All of us have been out there in life’s weather and experiencing life’s stressors.
We have therefore developed skills and resources to assist us to be resilient in the face of stressors. We have discovered our own internal resources for coping, things like being flexible, persistent, or patient.
We have learnt skills for managing stress, like problem-solving or making hard decisions. We have gained resources like healthy relationships which will see them through tough times.
Alternatively, if we try to avoid or deny these metaphorical storms, we do not discover our personal attributes which make us resilient. Neither do we learn strategies that add to our natural resilience. Likewise, if we try to protect others, such as our children, from life’s storms, we are denying them the opportunity to develop their own resilience.”
After this discovery, Biosphere 2 became nothing more than another tourist attraction. It is advertised as a learning experience, promoting education on ecology, and providing accommodations to host large study experiments and symposiums.
One true discovery was that it is stress that allows us to discover and build resilience just like trees.
Without the challenge of life, we cannot develop the strength necessary to survive challenges. Strangely enough, this describes the generations that are being pandered to and not stressed to develop the strength to live.
You want weak character in our children, then treat them like marshmallows. Without stress, there is no character.
Linda, this is your best effort yet! Fresh, original, topical, interesting content without an obvious political slant is exactly the kind of article I enjoy reading - Thank You!
Is there a future explanations of any point to be made here? Oh, yes! If you make concrete with sand it won't be much good. Glad to have learned such a valuable lesson.
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Great observations Linda!
Linda, this is your best effort yet! Fresh, original, topical, interesting content without an obvious political slant is exactly the kind of article I enjoy reading - Thank You!
Is there a future explanations of any point to be made here? Oh, yes! If you make concrete with sand it won't be much good. Glad to have learned such a valuable lesson.
As always, Ronzim is the one eye in the land of the blind.
Full of compliments? or something..
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
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