The Biospherians: Why we were sealed in a giant dome
The 'Biospherians' were a crew of eight people who were sealed inside a giant greenhouse in the Arizona desert for two years to see if humans could survive on other planets.
When a crew of eight people entered an enormous air-tight terrarium in the Arizona desert – known as Biosphere 2 – for two years in September 1991, they were hoping to prove that humans could survive on other planets. The intention was for them to cultivate the farmland and plant life inside, to create the food and oxygen they needed, but it wasn't long before they began to run out of both. This is the story of how original 'Biospherians' Mark Nelson, Sally Silverstone, Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum endured what's been called one of the most audacious, unusual and controversial experiments of the last decade.
Sally Silverstone sadly passed away shortly after recording this interview. You can learn more about her life and work in the book she wrote with Mark Nelson called "Life Under Glass: Crucial Lessons in Planetary Stewardship from 2 years in Biosphere 2". This edition was first broadcast in 2020.
Presented and produced by Saskia Edwards
Additional production by Mariana Des Forges
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Picture: The original crew outside Biosphere 2
Credit: Getty Images
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