点评:In the late 1800s, the Biosphere 2 property was part of the Samaniego CDO Ranch, which grew as the town of Oracle did. Nearly 50 years later, the ranch was sold to a Canadian dentist who then ran it as both a cattle farm and hunting lodge, from the 1920s - 1950s. When he passed, it was sold to Lady Margaret, Countess of Suffolk, who built a Spanish-style adobe home, servants' quarters, and a pool on the property. She lived there until her death in 1968 after which Motorola purchased the property and built both casitas and a conference center. In 1984, Space Biospheres Ventures bought the property and began construction of the current $150m facility two years later, aimed at research and development of self-sustaining space-colonization technology. It included forests, deserts, laboratories, recycling systems, pigs, chickens, hummingbirds, bush babies, and even a coral reef. The University of Arizona assumed it in 2011 and is still used as a major scientific laboratory and educational center focused on global ecology, climate change, and earth sciences.
What It’s Famous For
If you remember the movie Bio Dome (though not filmed at the Biosphere 2) then you know the premise of what happened within Biosphere 2. Two missions, between 1991 and 1994, sealed “Biospherians” inside the glass enclosure to measure survivability. Unfortunately, low oxygen levels, coupled with dwindling food supply and a bit of hysteria, ended both experiments early. To read first-hand accounts of what it was like, click here.
Is It Worth Touring?
It was actually a good way to spend an hour! We toured the various areas within the domes, explored some of the outside areas, and learned a lot more about the work being done today!
翻译:19世纪末,生物圈二号所在地曾是萨马涅戈CDO牧场的一部分,该牧场随着奥拉克镇的发展而壮大。近50年后,牧场被卖给了一位加拿大牙医,他在20世纪20年代至50年代期间将其经营为养牛场和狩猎小屋。牙医去世后,牧场被卖给了萨福克伯爵夫人玛格丽特,她在牧场上建造了一座西班牙风格的土坯房、佣人房和一个游泳池。她一直居住在那里,直到1968年去世。之后,摩托罗拉公司收购了这处房产,并建造了小屋和会议中心。1984年,太空生物圈风险投资公司收购了这处房产,并在两年后开始建造如今耗资1.5亿美元的生物圈二号,旨在研发自给自足的太空殖民技术。它包括森林、沙漠、实验室、回收系统、猪、鸡、蜂鸟、婴猴,甚至还有珊瑚礁。亚利桑那大学于2011年接管了它,至今仍将其用作重要的科学实验室和教育中心,专注于全球生态学、气候变化和地球科学。
它的成名之处
如果你看过电影《生化穹顶》(虽然并非在生物圈2号拍摄),那么你大概了解生物圈2号内部发生的事情。1991年至1994年间,两次任务将“生物圈居民”密封在玻璃罩内,以测试他们的生存能力。不幸的是,低氧环境、食物供应减少以及一些恐慌情绪,导致两次实验都提前结束。想了解当时的亲身经历,请点击此处。
值得参观吗?
这确实是一个不错的消磨时间的方式!我们参观了穹顶内的各个区域,探索了一些外部区域,并了解了更多关于当今正在进行的工作的信息!