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A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

biologicperformance.com

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Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#91

Post by chrismbarr »

wallace_f wrote: post #62

>more than a century has passed and David’s sealed bottle garden is still thriving and robust as can be. With thriving plant life, despite not watering it since 1972. >David planted the terrarium back in 1960 I'm so annoyed by the above. Is this article written in 2060?

I also re-read this several times trying to make sense of it. I kept looking for a early 1900's date somewhere I must have missed...

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#92

Post by fox8091 »

jacobush wrote: post #83
nitrogen wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like as a rough approximation your plants would need to grow at least as much biomass as you eat every day.

"Space in space" is cramped only because we put up too small living quarters. But an inflatable balloon only for growing things in it need not be especially rigid or robust. It wouldn't even have to be rigidly fixed to the living quarters, it could float a bit to the side connected only by flexible tubing.

That's not really true thanks to micrometeors. They'd have it ripped to shreds, and if it was connected to the main habitation units, would remove the air from there too.

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#93

Post by pbhjpbhj »

chadcmulligan wrote: post #63

Any one know what sort of jar that is? and/or where to buy one? Edit: its called a demijohn if anyone else was curious, used for making wine

They're also called, or very similar to, "carboys". Google says they're called "jimmy johns" in USA, but I've no knowledge of that.

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#95

Post by vvdcect »

Doubl wrote: post #26

I wonder what other life forms are inside that jar apart from the plant. Is the tiny sealed world a paradise or a hell for them?

If the soil was taken from the garden there should be hexapods within it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springtail

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#98

Post by nkrisc »

julienreszka wrote: post #68

I just don't think there is enough evidence to believe his story.

Based on my layman knowledge of the relevant scientific fields here, it certainly seems plausible. He's not claiming anything that extraordinary. The stakes are also incredibly low, it's not like he's lying about his achievement to get some kind of grant.

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#99

Post by chrismeller »

So then I’m the only one who did this in elementary school, then?

Soil from the yard, a couple of plant clippings, water... and seal it. I find it kind of surprising how excited the comments here are when 7 year olds around the world have done this same experiment.

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#100

Post by nkrisc »

pdpi wrote: post #57
klingonopera wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AFAIK, at a certain depth below ground-level, the temperature is constant all-year-round. Something like that in two meters the ground is constantly around 14°C or something like that. ...so basically all you'd need to do is just dig a hole, put a bunch of metal pipes inside, seal it all up and run cooling water through and couple it to a closed-loop temperature control and you're done. The idea is from an article fr…

That only works for a limited amount of time though. E.g. the London tube has warmed the rock around it by a very considerable amount. https://www.citymetric.com/transport/londons-tube-has-been-r...

If you're talking about a half acre biodome, your "limited amount of time" is probably longer than the life of the planet.
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