A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017) • Hacker News Board

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

#131

Post by jandrese » Mon, May 20, 2019, 3:32 PM UTC

vvdcect wrote: post #90

bjackman wrote: post #20

I wonder if part of what makes it work is luck of the draw wrt. the microbial life that was present at the start. You need stuff that will break down the dead plants at a good enough rate but nothing that competes for resources or produces anything toxic to the plant. Or maybe that's a typical microbial makeup for sample of gardener's compost?

Yeah I don't know if you noticed the white patch on the lower part of the terrarium, that to me looks like a mix of the plants root system and mycorrhizal fungi, so there should have been microbes present within the soil when it was first planted.

There would have to be microbes in the soil breaking it down and releasing CO2 so the plant could get its carbon.

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

#132

Post by jandrese » Mon, May 20, 2019, 3:34 PM UTC

onemoresoop wrote: post #107

whenchamenia wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are correct, but there is very little incentive to lie. Maybe a helpful family member watered it a few times and never mentioned it. The concept does at least work for a few years as many sources can confirm, and the story is firmly in the plausible range imho. But in typical fashion, the data is scant and maybe contradictory. The point on HN seems to be; the takeaway, arguing grammar/numbers/journalistic standar…

Why would anyone need to water it? Am I missing something? This is sealed like other terrariums, the water recycles, it has nowhere to escape (unless the plug is poorly sealed). Probably the first time it was opened in 1972 to be watered was because the water level wasn't high enough from the beginning.

I was wondering if the seal failed in the 70s and allowed it to dry out. So he added water and improved the seal so it wouldn't happen again.

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

#133

Post by jandrese » Mon, May 20, 2019, 3:35 PM UTC

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?

It's just dirt to the microbes in there.

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

#134

Post by onemoresoop » Mon, May 20, 2019, 3:41 PM UTC

pvaldes wrote: post #122

nkrisc wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because someone who doesn't know better might think it needs to be opened and watered.

Because biological growth increases the number of cells, and more cells need more water to survive than less cells.

Interesting thought, but in this case, simplistically put, the water, a limited resource, is the food for the cells. The population will grow until no more food is present and will reach balance in the eco-system. And the cells that die recycle back into the system

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

#135

Post by drinane » Mon, May 20, 2019, 3:58 PM UTC

It would be cool if that was for an apartment

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

#136

Post by psadri » Mon, May 20, 2019, 4:08 PM UTC

bjackman wrote: post #20

I wonder if part of what makes it work is luck of the draw wrt. the microbial life that was present at the start. You need stuff that will break down the dead plants at a good enough rate but nothing that competes for resources or produces anything toxic to the plant. Or maybe that's a typical microbial makeup for sample of gardener's compost?

I tried this myself and can attest that it worked for at least one year. I basically grabbed some dirt + a ground cover type plant + some water and sealed it in a large glass bottle (1 gallon glass milk jugs work too). So I don’t think you have to be that lucky.

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

#137

Post by logfromblammo » Mon, May 20, 2019, 4:16 PM UTC

fox8091 wrote: post #92

jacobush wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"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.

I think I'd take inspiration from the sandstone fortifications I saw in Florida as a kid, that stopped cannonballs by basically eating them whole with a super-thick barrier of soft sandstone.

Cook up aerogel panels 1m thick, and layer them over your inflatable shell. The panels would still be translucent to sunlight, although it would scatter significantly. Micrometeorites would plow into the aerogel, making micro-tunnels in it until the kinetic energy dissipates. The micrometeorites would then remain embedded in the panels. Larger impacts could still plow through the panels completely, to breach the inflatable envelope, but those are more easily tracked and avoided. Panels that get too shredded can be replaced, and the micrometeorites harvested from them for study.

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

#138

Post by QuercusMax » Mon, May 20, 2019, 4:19 PM UTC

m-i-l wrote: post #125

AKifer wrote: post #103

Did anyone try introduce an animal in such a closed system, insects for instance. Does it self sustain ?

I saw a shop selling these once: https://www.ecospheres.co.uk/ . They contain small marine shrimp, and "The only care the sphere requires is a source of indirect natural or artificial light" and they "have an average life expectancy of 2-3 years however it is not uncommon for them to survive for 7 to 10 years"[0]. [0] https://www.ecospheres.co.uk/what-is-an-ecosphere/

I have one of these sitting on the table right in front of me. We've had it for a couple months, and the brine shrimp are swimming around happily still. I figure it has a 50-50 chance of being broken by my kids before the shrimp die.

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

#139

Post by jedberg » Mon, May 20, 2019, 4:21 PM UTC

AKifer wrote: post #103

Did anyone try introduce an animal in such a closed system, insects for instance. Does it self sustain ?

Yeah, my brother did this. He made a self sustaining garden with some bugs in it. The bugs eventually stopped reproducing, possibly because of inbreeding? The plants lasted quite a while until my parents moved and couldn't take it with them.

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

#140

Post by pvaldes » Mon, May 20, 2019, 4:29 PM UTC

onemoresoop wrote: post #134

pvaldes wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because biological growth increases the number of cells, and more cells need more water to survive than less cells.

Interesting thought, but in this case, simplistically put, the water, a limited resource, is the food for the cells. The population will grow until no more food is present and will reach balance in the eco-system. And the cells that die recycle back into the system

And then the sealed garden would have a lot of dry tissue that for some reason can't be seen in the photo, or traces of fungus decay. The other option is that somebody is cleaning it even if does not water it, and in the process is inadvertently watering it

If the garden is opened sometimes or the cork is loose, new water will enter by gass difussion until reaching an equilibrium. So a garden is either fully sealed, or watered.

Many plants are able to drink 'mist'. Some even only drink mist in their entire life.