Planet in a bottle. Eden revisited. Laboratory under glass. The largest self-sustaining closed ecological system ever made. Biosphere 2 is many things to many people. This is the only account written while the team was enclosed inside Biosphere 2, telling the story of how they lived and worked inside the facility for two years. They recycled their air, water, food, and wastes, setting a world record for time spent in a closed ecological system and learned many valuable lessons about planetary stewardship.
From its half-acre farm to its coral reef to its emerald rainforest — this unique research facility has proven itself a marvel of human engineering and a testament to the human imagination. In Life Under Glass, crew members Abigail Alling, Mark Nelson, and co-captain Sally Silverstone present the full account of those two remarkable years. From the struggles of growing their own food, to learning how to help sustain their life-giving atmosphere, the general reader is offered a rare glimpse into how a group of dedicated researchers managed to surprise the world and fulfill their dream.
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Why this book matters
- The only account written from inside Biosphere 2 during the two-year mission — an unparalleled firsthand record
- Documents a world record for time spent in a closed ecological system, with lessons directly applicable to planetary stewardship
- Written by three crew members who lived the experiment — growing food, recycling air and water, and sustaining life in isolation
- A marvel of human engineering and imagination that remains one of the most ambitious ecological experiments ever attempted
- Updated with a new chapter reflecting on Biosphere 2’s legacy and the state of related scientific progress
