TED Talks: Building Wonder Season 1 Episode 10 Jane Poynter: Life in Biosphere 2

In the tenth episode of season 1 of TED Talks: Building Wonder, Jane Poynter takes the stage to share her experience as one of eight individuals who lived inside Biosphere 2 for two years. Biosphere 2 is an experimental facility designed to mimic the Earth's ecosystem, built in the Arizona desert in the 1990s. Poynter and the other individuals lived in a completely sealed environment and had to grow their own food, recycle their waste, and generate their energy. They experienced a unique and unprecedented life in this so-called "closed ecological system."

In her TED Talk, Poynter shares the ups and downs of living inside Biosphere 2, highlighting the challenges of living in a small, isolated community where each individual has to fulfill multiple roles to ensure the survival of the group as a whole. She describes the struggles they faced when food supplies ran low, the close relationships they formed as they relied on one another for daily survival, and the psychological challenges of living in such a confined space for an extended period.

Despite the difficulties, Poynter emphasizes the importance of this experiment in understanding and protecting our planet. She believes that Biosphere 2 shows us that life on Earth is fragile and interconnected, and that we need to take better care of our resources to ensure a sustainable future. Poynter also reflects on the privilege of being able to witness firsthand the impact of human actions on the environment, and how this experience shaped her appreciation for the beauty and complexity of our planet.

Throughout her talk, Poynter provides captivating glimpses into the everyday life of the Biosphere 2 team, from the challenges of growing crops in a limited space to the joy of discovering new life forms within the sealed environment. Her talk is a powerful reminder that we are all part of a vast, interconnected system, and that our actions have ripple effects beyond what we might imagine. Ultimately, Poynter's experience in Biosphere 2 serves as a lesson in humility, curiosity, and the wonder of life on our planet.