Constructed between 1987 and 1989 and costing more than $200 million, Biosphere 2 was an experiment to test if and how people could create, live, and work inside a closed biosphere while carrying out scientific experiments. It explored the possible use of closed biospheres in space colonization, and also allowed the study and manipulation of a biosphere without harming our own. Problems plagued the experiment from the beginning–lack of oxygen, low food supply, and psychological problems such as hostility and paranoia led to an early end of the experiment. Was it a success or a failure? What lessons were learned that can be used in either space travel or to create a more sustainable community on Earth?
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