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In the 1990s, a group of self-proclaimed hippies spent two years sealed inside a dome called Biosphere 2. Their glass-protected utopia turned out to be anything but, as they ended up nearly starving and gasping for air.SOURCEShttps://www.vulture.com/2020/05/spaceship-earth-review-biosphere-2-documentary.htmlhttps://www.thedailybeast.com/spaceship-earth-tells-the-wild-story-of-biosphere-2-steve-bannons-eco-cult-disasterhttps://biosphere2.org/about/about-biosphere-2https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1992/01/08/biosphere-2-bogus-new-world/f2de366a-ed63-42a0-ae39-0393db18ea46/?utm_term=.5f1efce4d751https://www.britannica.com/topic/Biosphere-2https://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/articles/biosphere-2-what-really-happenedhttps://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/2021/8067539
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Ty Roach. Ty is a molecular biologist, freelance scientist, and a decorated competitive surfer and wrestler. Ty is a former Postdoctoral Researcher at Biosphere 2, where he split time between the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and living on site at Biosphere 2. He has done extensive research in the Biosphere 2 Ocean system, logging over 100 hours underwater. Today, Ty is making his way through academia as a freelance scientist with research focused on microbial and viral ecology, coral reef science, and theoretical biophysics. He is currently an Adjunct Research Professor at the Viral Information Institute at San Diego State University. Additionally, he is co-authoring a book with Drs Forest Rohwer and Breeann Kirby on the positive roles of viruses and bacteria in human and ecological health that will be coming out next year. As a competitive surfer, Ty has won two National championships and four consecutive East Coast Longboard championships, along with numerous professional level surfing titles. As a Division 1 wrestler, Ty was named a two-time Academic All-Conference athlete, an Academic All-American, and was presented the North Carolina State Top Scholar Athlete Award four times. In this episode, Ty shares his experience at Biosphere 2 and reflects upon his journey as a molecular biologist exploring the frontiers of viruses and bacteriophages in coral reef environments all over the world. We cover many topics, including: the Biosphere 2 Ocean, coral reef resilience, viruses, Ty's unconventional career path, professional surfing, designing surfboards, biophysics, phage therapy, and coral reef restoration, among other topics. Without further ado, here is Dr. Ty Roach. Thank you for listening to the Biosphere 2 Podcast. I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Dr. Ty Roach. You can follow his surfing and science on social media @smokinroachjr This episode was co-produced by Keelin Joy Connely. As always thank you for listening to the Biosphere 2 podcast.
In this episode we are joined by Kai Staats. Kai is a veteran developer, designer, filmmaker, and scientist. Kai is the Director of SAM, Space Analog for the Moon and Mars, here at Biosphere 2. SAM is a hi-fidelity, hermetically sealed Mars habitat analog with greenhouse, living quarters, airlock, pressure suits, and a half acre Mars yard. Since 2021 Kai and his team have been constructing SAM, and just last month, SAM hosted it's first two sealed missions, Inclusion 1 and Inclusion 2. Prior to SAM, Kai was co-founder and CEO of the world-renowned Yellow Dog Linux operating system for ten years. The YDL platform was used extensively in Department of Energy, NASA, and University research across a full spectrum of sciences. Kai also designed and developed iConji, an icon-based language for international communication. Further, he wrote the machine learning algorithm Karoo GP which has been used at LIGO for classification of glitches and supernovae. Kai was principal designer of the Mt. Meru Astronomical Observatory in Tanzania, the first of its kind in East Africa. At Arizona State University Kai led the development of SIMOC, a research-grade computer simulation and educational interface hosted by National Geographic that enables citizen scientists to explore the complexity of a human habitat on Mars. In this podcast, Kai takes us on his journey to build SAM. Breaking down the inspiration for SAM's creation, and the research goals for SAM's future.
Weird History: The Unexpected and Untold Chronicles of History
Dive deep into the history and drama of Biosphere 2, the world's most ambitious contained experiment. Explore the thrilling and wildly intriguing stories behind this scientific marvel that combined crazy science, cults, billionaires, and apocalyptic ambitions. #Biosphere2 #science #weirdhistory #containedexperiment #ambitiousproject #drama #cults #billionaires #scientificmarvel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Dan Killam. Dan is a post- doctoral researcher in the Coral Reef Laboratory here at Biosphere 2. Dan's central research focus is the study of giant clams. His research involves growing giant clams to understand how they embed signatures in their shells that relate to the activity of symbiotic algae in the clams bodies. Prior to Biosphere 2, Dan was a Zuckerman Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Haifa in Israel, where he studied the effects of climate change on bittersweet clams found on the Israeli coast. Dan completed his PhD in Paleobiology at UC Santa Cruz where he studied the ecological and physiological history of bivalves. In this episode, Dan takes us deep into world of Giant Clam research-- revealing a wide array of fascinating facts about these overshadowed bivalves found within Coral Reefs. Further, Dan tells us why the Biosphere 2 Ocean is a great place to study clams, he explains his past research studying Clams in the Red Sea, and he guides us through the life history and symbiosis of Giant Clams. https://dantheclamman.blog/
In this episode we are joined by Dr. Stuart Sandin. Stuart is the Oliver Chair in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. He is a professor in the Marine Biology Research Division, and he serves as director of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation. Sandin has coordinated multiple ship- and land-based expeditions to the remote islands of the central and south Pacific Ocean, with much work conducted in the Line Islands archipelago. He has been using this island gradient and others to study the individual and interacting roles that local human activities and oceanographic context play in the fisheries dynamics and general functioning of coral reef ecosystems. The work in the Pacific has led to the development of the 100 Island Challenge research campaign. In this episode, Stuart and I discuss what Caribbean reefs used to look like and why they've changed. Further, we explore how Stuarts Lab is using structure from motion technology to map out reefs systems over time. We broach the topics of self organization, resilience, evolutionary succession, and technology driven ecological research. Learn more about this project at 100IslandChallenge.org. https://sandinlab.ucsd.edu/
Today we are joined by Dr. Vishnu Reddy. Dr. Reddy is an Associate Professor of Planetary Sciences at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona. Prior to serving as faculty, Vishnu was a research scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson. He is a co-investigator of NASA's Near Earth Camera Mission to discover 90% of Near Earth Objects larger than 140M. In addition to his work with NASA, Vishnu is part of the space- situational awareness program at UArizona where he has developed a network of small optical sensors to characterize orbital debris and active resident space objects for the US Air Force Research Laboratory. Dr. Reddy’s research focuses on understanding the behavior of space objects (both natural and artificial) using a range of Earth and space-based assets. In this episode, Dr. Reddy shares his amazing and unorthodox journey of becoming a planetary scientist. We discuss in-depth the threats that near earth objects like asteroids and comets pose to our society, and revisit catastrophic and regional impact events from the past. Dr. Reddy discusses his current research and the changes in congressional support for asteroid research in more recent years. Vishnu's passion for planetary science and teaching is palpable, and I hope you enjoy this episode.
(episode script)[frogs 2017 05 22, Preston River, QC]Welcome to the conscient podcast. My name is Claude Schryer. Season 1 was about exploring how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French, 15 in English as well as a series of bilingual blogs and videos. You can see and hear them at https://www.conscient.ca/. Season 2 is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. Today you'll hear episode 1, called reality. It touches upon our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, eco anxiety and eco grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The episode mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from my simplesoundscapescollection and from my soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. This poetic layering of ideas and sound is how I make sense of life and the world around me.A complete transcript of this episode, including weblinks to the source each of quotation and field recording, can be found in the episode notes. The rest of season 2 will feature interviews with thought leaders, in English ou en francais, about their responses and reactions to episode 1. This is where I will be fleshing out some of the questions I raise in the episode with experts and thought leaders. Please stay tuned. Veuillez noter que cette émission est également disponible en français. [e11 Arrival 2017 09 19, Dash-8, Ottawa Airport, ON]*Journalist Jack Miles, If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?Reality, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is “the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.” Instead of being the method through which we observe a thing, reality is the nature or truth of this thing. [e55 crôute, 2018 01 28, Duhamel QC]Definition of Reality in Buddhism,WikipediaBuddhism seeks to address any disparity between a person's view of reality and the actual state of things.[e97 raven 2018 07 24 Saturna Island, BC]Writer Sherri Mitchell, Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based ChangeWe must tune in to our ability to see beyond the physical reality that surrounds us and awaken to the vast unseen world that exists. [e169 chorus 2018 05 26 Duhamel, QC]Cultural theorist Thomas Berry, The Dream of the EarthOur challenge is to create a new language, even a new sense of what it is to be human. It is to transcend not only national limitations, but even our species isolation, to enter into the larger community of living species. This brings about a completely new sense of reality and value. Historian Paul Krause (also known as Hesiod),Francis Bacon's Philosophy of Scientific ConquestFor Francis Bacon, man is superior to nature. But man is also alienated from nature. Nature is harsh and unforgiving and something that needs to be conquered. Rather than seeing man as part of the web of nature, Bacon sees man as existing in a natural empire.[chainsaw, 2016 12 04, Duhamel QC] [ice falling, 1990 North Bay, ON]Political science professor Thomas Homer-Dixon, Commanding HopeToday's globe-spanning crises all stem from common sources: beliefs and values that are too self-centered, political systems that are too hidebound, economies that are too rapacious, and technologies that are too dirty for a small, crowded planet with dwindling resources and fraying natural systems.[birdsong, 2020 03 14, Biosphere2, AZ]Activist Naomi Klein, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The ClimateWhat the climate needs to avoid collapse, is a contraction in humanity's use of resources and what our economic model demands, to avoid collapse, is unfettered expansion. Only one of these sets of rules can be changed, and it's not the laws of nature. Philosophy professor Todd Dufresne, For the Love of Wisdom: Climate Change and the Revenge of HistoryWe're all being “radicalized by reality.” It's just that for some people it takes a personal experience of fire, landslide, or hurricane to get their attention. I'm afraid it takes mass death and extinction.Whoever survives these experiences will have a renewed appreciation for nature, for the external world, and for the necessity of collectivism in the face of mass extinction. There's hope in this — although I admit it's wrapped in ugliness.[2 appel, Au dernier vivant les biens, 1996 Montréal QC]Environmental humanitiesprofessor Jennifer Atkinson, Facing It Eco-anxiety and climate grief are sometimes framed as “disorders” but in fact these feelings typically arise from an accurate perception of our ecological crisis. It may be more appropriate to identify eco-anxiety as a “moral emotion” – a sign of compassion, attachment to life, and desire for justice. Our future remains unwritten, and by embracing the unknown we are better able to reframe our thinking in empowering ways. Writer Rebecca Solnit, Hope is an embrace of the unknown: Rebecca Solnit on living in dark timesHope locates itself in the premises that we don't know what will happen and that in the spaciousness of uncertainty is room to act. [33 nuage, Au dernier vivant les biens, 1996 Montréal QC]Dharma teacher Catherine Ingram, Facing ExtinctionLove, what else is there to do now? Here we are, some of the last humans who will experience this beautiful planet since Homo sapiens began their journey some 200,000 years ago. Now, in facing extinction of our species, you may wonder if there is any point in going on. Journalist Dahl Jamail, The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate DisruptionMy heart breaks for what we have done and are doing to the planet. I grieve, yet this ongoing process has become more like peeling back the layers of an onion — there is always more work to do, as the crisis we have created for ourselves continues to unfold. And somewhere along the line I surrendered my attachment to any results that might stem from my work. I am hope-free.Journalist Richard Heinberg, The Big PictureHope is not just an expectation of better times ahead; it is an active attitude, a determination to achieve the best possible outcome regardless of the challenges one is facing.[protest, 2017 01 21 Ottawa, ON]Activist Greta Thunberg, Message to world leaders at #DavosAgenda For me, hope is the feeling that keeps you going, even though all odds may be against you. For me, hope comes from action not just words. For me, hope is telling it like it is.[8 capital, Au dernier vivant les biens, 1990 Montréal QC]Law Professor Shalanda Baker, Revolutionary Power: An Activist's Guide to the Energy TransitionWill we redesign systems to replicate the current structures of power and control, or will we reimagine our system to benefit those are so often left out of discussions regarding systems design? [49 temps, Au dernier vivant les biens, 1998 Montréal QC]Writer Britt Wray, Climate tipping points: the ones we actually wantWhen a small change in a complex system produces an enormous shift, that new pathway gets reinforced by positive feedback loops, which lock in all that change. That's why tipping points are irreversible. You can't go back to where you were before. A tipping point that flips non-linearly could be the thing that does us in, but it could also be the thing that allows us to heal our broken systems and better sustain ourselves. [7 brassage, Au dernier vivant les biens, 1996 Manitoba]Public policy professorEric Beinhocker, I Am a Carbon AbolitionistHumankind is in a race between two tipping points. The first is when the Earth's ecosystems and the life they contain tip into irreversible collapse due to climate change. The second is when the fight for climate action tips from being just one of many political concerns to becoming a mass social movement. The existential question is, which tipping point will we hit first?[41 profondeur, Au dernier vivant les biens, 1980s Ice breaker, Nunavut]Zen teacher David Loy, Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological CrisisThe Buddhist solution to this predicament is not to get rid of the self, because there is no such thing to get rid of. The sense of self needs to be deconstructed (‘forgotten' in meditation) and reconstructed (replacing the ‘three poisons' of greed, ill will and delusion with generosity, loving-kindness and the wisdom that recognizes our interdependence). Just as there is no self to get rid of, we cannot ‘return to nature' because we've never been apart from it, but we can realize our nonduality with it and begin to live in ways that accord with that realization. [43 réveil, Au dernier vivant les biens, 1990s Church bells, Europe]Actor Dominic Champagne, Le fond de ma pensée (in French only)Knowing that I will be leaving my three sons a world in worse condition than the one I inherited from my parents, knowing that we are contemporaries in a world where our actions are jeopardizing the future of life on Earth and knowing that the situation may get worse, what am I doing with my life? How can I keep putting on shows and spinning balloons on my nose as if nothing had happened?Journalist Julia Rosen,An artist set out to paint climate change. She ended up on a journey through griefSociety tends to see climate change as a scientific issue, rather than a cultural and political challenge that demands our full humanity — the kind more often explored and addressed through art.Composer R. Murray Schafer, Au dernier vivant les biensLook at war. People who want to use noise as a kind of weaponry. To frighten them. To scare them. To beat them down. To pulverize them. If you want to destroy people. One of the first resorts you have is to noise.Artist David Haley, Going beyond EarthlyWe now need aesthetics to sensitize us to other ways of life and we need artists to sensitize us to the shape of things to come.[28 liquide, Au dernier vivant les biens, 1998 Montréal QC] Artist Diego Galafassi, How the arts might help us grapple with climate changeArt is a space where we can ask very difficult questions and explore things in a more open-ended way and not be committed to solutions. Artist Lance Gharavi,In a climate crisis, artists have a duty to speak up – but what should they say?While individual works of art, ‘however genius,' may have value, they won't do the trick. What we need is for all art to be about climate change.[Marche sonore 1, Grenouilles, 1992 Montréal QC] Composer Robert Normandeau, Marche sonore 1It's a bit like taking a frog, which is a cold-blooded animal, and putting it in a jar of water and heating the water, little by little. The frog will get used to the temperature rising and rising, and it will not notice that the temperature has risen and one day the temperature will be too hot for it and it will die. Therefore, our civilization, in terms of sound, looks a bit like that, that is to say we get used to it, we get used to it, we get used to it and at some point, we are going to have punctured eardrums. Historian Yuval Harari,Why Did Humans Become The Most Successful Species On Earth?If you think about any religion, any economic system, any political system, at the basis you will find some fictional story about God, about money, about human rights, about a nation. All these things are fictional stories. They are not a biological reality, but it's a very powerful and convincing and benign fiction that helps us organize our political and legal systems in the modern world.Writer Charles Eisenstein, To Reason with a MadmanExpository prose generates resistance, but stories touch a deeper place in the soul. They flow like water around intellectual defenses and soften the soil so that dormant visions and ideals can take root. Writer Richard Wagamese, Embers: One Ojibway's MeditationsTo use the act of breathing to shape air into sounds that take on the context of language that lifts and transports those who hear it, takes them beyond what they think and know and feel and empowers them to think and feel and know even more. We're storytellers, really. That's what we do. That is our power as human beings.[fireplace, 2021 01 26, Duhamel QC] Composer Claude Schryer, story from participation at How does culture contribute to sustainable futures?Here's a story. Once upon a time… I think it was during the fall of 2019, I was at a meeting about how the arts and cultural sector, and in particular indigenous traditional knowledge community, could play a much larger role in the fight against climate change. I was very fortunate to be there, and I was very excited to learn more. So, we sat around a table, not quite a circle, but close enough, and each person shared knowledge and some stories. I spoke about how the institution that I worked for was trying to become greener and walk its talk on environmental issues. Others spoke about issues like built heritage and intangible culture and hat kind of thing. Then, the representative from an indigenous cultural organization took my breath away when he said that it would ‘likely take as long to resolve the ecological crisis as it did to create it'. Now, I played this back in my mind: take as long to resolve the ecological crisis as it did, or as it does, to create it. How is this possible? and then I said: ‘but, but we do not have that kind of time'. Or do we? We all looked at each other in silence. I'll never forget that moment. [e105 thunder, 2018 08 04, Duhamel QC]Activist Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Our survival utterly depends on living in nature, not apart from itIt's important to recognize how closely linked environment, health, economics, culture and rights are in our society. The Earth is a living, breathing entity just the same as our bodies are. Our survival utterly depends on living in nature, not apart from it. Writer Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of PlantsThe land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.[frogs 2017 05 22, Preston River, QC]Dharma teacher Catherine Ingram, Facing Extinction : Despite our having caused so much destruction, it is important to also consider the wide spectrum of possibilities that make up a human life. Yes, on one end of that spectrum is greed, cruelty, and ignorance; on the other end is kindness, compassion, and wisdom. We are imbued with great creativity, brilliant communication, and extraordinary appreciation of and talent for music and other forms of art. There is no other known creature whose spectrum of consciousness is as wide and varied as our own.*I agree with Catherine that we humans are conscient beings, with an unlimited capacity for, yes, greed, cruelty, ignorance and selfishness but also for kindness, compassion, wisdom, creativity and imagination.My own understanding and perception of reality have been transformed since I started writing this episode. Yuval Harari's statement about how ‘fictional stories are not a biological reality' shook me up and woke me up.More and more, I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist', without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way. So where do we go from here? Eric Beinhocker reminded us earlier in the program that humankind is in a race between two tipping points: irreversible collapse or mass social movement. My heart, of course, is with massive social movement, there are signs of it growing, however, my rational mind, informed by science, sees irreversible collapse as the most likely outcome. and this collapse has already begun and so we must make every effort, for the benefit of future generations, to slow down the collapse while a mass social movement grows. Personally, my hope is that we find a way to accept reality, to work our way through ecological grief and to chart a path forward. My dream, as zen teacher David Loy suggests, is that one day, we can ‘realize our nonduality with nature and begin to live in ways that accord with that realization'. *You've been listening to reality, episode 1 of season 2 of the conscient podcast. My name is Claude Schryer. I would like to warmly thank the 28 individuals who I quoted in this program. Some of their quotes have been slightly abbreviated for concision and clarity. I also want to thank all those who have helped me produce this episode, in particular my wife Sabrina Mathews and podcast consultant Ayesha Barmania.Please keep in mind that this podcast is a work in progress and that I'm aware that my work has moments of incoherence, contradiction, unconscious bias, a bit of panic and some naïveté, among other things, so please feel free to challenge my assumptions, share your thoughts and join the conversation through conscient.ca. Also keep in mind that these are troubling and challenging issues, so please do not hesitate to reach out to support groups or counselling services in your community for help. A reminder that episode 2 (é20 réalité) is the French version of this program and episode 3 will be the first in a series of conversations with guests about their response to the reality episode.Take good care and thanks for listening.[e74 sky, 2018 08 04, Duhamel QC]Thanks to Hélène Prévost and Lolita Boudreault for their support. *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODESHere is a link for more information on season 5. Please note that, in parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and it's francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I publish a Substack newsletter called ‘a calm presence' which are 'short, practical essays for those frightened by the ecological crisis'. To subscribe (free of charge) see https://acalmpresence.substack.com. You'll also find a podcast version of each a calm presence posting on Substack or one your favorite podcast player.Also. please note that a complete transcript of conscient podcast and balado conscient episodes from season 1 to 4 is available on the web version of this site (not available on podcast apps) here: https://conscient-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes.Your feedback is always welcome at claude@conscient.ca and/or on conscient podcast social media: Facebook, X, Instagram or Linkedin. I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. Claude SchryerLatest update on April 2, 2024
Mark Nelson is an environmental engineer, author, and farmer at Synergia Ranch, in Santa Fe, NM. He's co-author of the book, Life Under Glass : Crucial lessons in planetary stewardship from Biosphere 2, and he's in a new documentary about Biosphere 2, Spaceship Earth. Starrlight Augustine is a scientist manager of the organic farm at Synergia Ranch. We talk about the experience and lessons of Biosphere 2, and their methods of farming in New Mexico.
In this episode we are joined by marine biologist and invertebrate zoologist Rick Brusca. Rick is Executive Director, Emeritus, of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum where he still conducts research. He is also a Research Scientist at the University of Arizona and the Center of Research for Food and Development in Mexico. Rick is the author of over 200 research publications and 20 books, including the largest-selling text on invertebrate zoology (Invertebrates 3rd ed., ) and the popular field guides Common Intertidal Invertebrates of the Gulf of California and A Natural History of the Santa Catalina Mountains. As a scientist, Rick’s areas of greatest interest is the Sea of Cortez and the Sonoran Desert. In this episode we dive deep into the Gulf of California also known as the Sea of Cortez. Starting with the famed travels of Ed Ricketts and John Steinbeck on the Western Flyer, our conversation ranges from the the Gulf of California's geologic formation and biodiversity, to its conservation challenges and weirdest creatures. Additionally Rick gazes inwardly as an author and invertebrate zoologist and describes highlights from his own career and how the field is changing. https://www.rickbrusca.com/http___www.rickbrusca.com_index.html/Cool_Inverts.html https://www.westernflyer.org/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/tongue-eating-fish-parasites-never-cease-to-amaze
In this episode we are joined by Katie Morgan and Dr. Diane Thompson. Katie Morgan is the Manager of Marine Systems and Education Initiatives at Biosphere 2. She oversees the operations of the Biosphere 2 Ocean, assists in developing the vision and project plan for the coral reef research initiative, and keeps the new coral species at Biosphere 2 alive and thriving. Katie is headed to James Cook University in Australia early next year to continue her journey as a coral reef biologist. Dr. Diane Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona, and the Director of Marine Research at Biosphere 2. Diane’s research bridges the fields of ecology, paleoecology, and paleoclimatology. Her research investigates climates and reef systems of the past, and in turn, improves our ability to preserve reef resilience under current and future climate change. Before coming to the University of Arizona, Diane held a two year post doctoral fellowship at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and was an assistant professor at Boston University. In this episode, we dive deep into the Biosphere 2 Ocean project, exploring stories and lessons from the early missions, takeaways from past research campaigns, insights into coral reef biology, and updates on the current campaign of the Biosphere 2 Coral Reef Lab. Dr. Diane Thompson's Lab Website: https://uathompsonlab.com/ Biosphere 2 Main Website Biosphere 2 Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB-dGCnVK2A&t=6s
In this episode we are joined by former Biospherians turned Space Industry Entrepreneurs Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum. Jane and Taber are the Founders and co-CEO's of Space Perspective, a company developing balloon powered human-spaceflight to the Earths stratosphere. Jane & Taber were both members of the Biosphere 2 design team and members of the original Biosphere 2 crew who lived for two years inside the sealed, self-sustaining habitat. Before Space Perspective, Jane & Taber co-founded World View Enterprises, the Silicon Valley-backed stratosphere balloon technology company. They also co-founded Paragon Space Development Corporation, the Human Life Support Systems company that has produced patented technologies on most human spacecraft today. Jane is the author of The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2. Taber served as Chief Technology & Safety Officer for StratEx, a project that launched Google Executive Alan Eustace to the edge of space under a balloon, breaking the Red Bull Stratos Spacedive record in 2014. In this episode we explore Jane & Taber's experiences as Biospherians and how there experiences inside, paved the way for careers focused on space technologies and shifting human perspectives on our place in the Universe. If you want to hear more about Jane & Taber's Biosphere 2 Experience check out their Biosphere 2 Earth Day Webinar
This week has been crazy and busy - not only with all that's happening in the Space Industry, but in each of our lives. So I sat down and shared my thoughts on some of the things we've got going on and what we're following in Space. First - an update on the Rocket Project 2020! Voting is underway for us to name our first 3D printed model rocket. Head over to our instagram page @todayinspacepod to vote! We also take out some of our model rockets we'll be launching and comparing our rocket to. Second - we have to talk about mind and body balance. It's more important now than ever. I share what I've been up to - and a space movie for you in case you need an escape! Spaceship Earth on Netflix! All about Biosphere2 - which brings up a potential flaw in the idea of humans living on other planets. A cautionary tale for sure. Third, preliminary news that the Europa Clipper mission, to explore the subsurface ocean of one of Jupiters most unique moons gets surprising launch flexibility thanks to Congress actually working together? I know, a strange world we live in. And finally, we discuss Rocket Lab's anomaly and loss of payload that occurred on July 4th - a loss and a setback, but also a change to grow and change for the better. SpaceX went through it before, and clearly has come out the other side. Lots to talk about! Hope you stay safe and healthy - be well. Alex
Each episode we feature in depth interviews with scientists, authors, engineers, entrepreneurs, artists and policy makers exploring the threads between Earth, its living systems, and our place in the Universe. In this interview, John Adams, Deputy Director of Biosphere 2, speaks on the legacy of the Biosphere 2 facility as both an unparalleled Earth Systems research facility and as a stand alone feat in architecture and engineering.
Today we are joined by infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Kacey Earnst. In this conversation we cover the spread, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases like COVID 19. Dr. Earnst is an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Arizona. Her primary projects examine how ecological and social changes impact the transmission of infectious diseases like dengue, malaria, and now COVID-19. Local AZ Covid-19 Response App designed by Kacey & team: azcovidtxt.org/
Jon is back from Arizona and Eric's playing seamster. Another cryptocurrency heist, another Ring vulnerability, how to abuse (web) Service Workers, and a hardware attack at bare metal clouds. For fun, both the NSA and Eric are on GitHub, and Jon had a good time at Biosphere2 and Taliesin West. 0:00 - Intro 0:53 - Suspicious White Powder 4:38 - More Cryptocurrency Fun 9:22 - Ring Doorbell Interception 19:17 - Abusing Service Workers 25:51 - Baremetal Cloud Firmware Attack 33:41 - NSA on GitHub 35:03 - MacWiFiChecker 37:13 - Biosphere #2 43:22 - Taliesin West
We implore you, have you seen the six-part Netflix docu-series WILD WILD COUNTRY yet? If not, what are you waiting for?When the Rajneesh movement and their leader the Bhagwan came to rural Oregon in the 1980s was it just a clash of cultures (worldly orange-clad hippies vs. conservative townspeople) or a mafia-style hostile takeover? The directors Maclain and Chapman Way have crafted a twisting drama with unearthed videotape of the Rajneeshpuram saga, plus new interviews with many key players. While most of you reading this may not know the name Bhagwan Rajneesh, those who were around to watch the news in the early 1980s can tell you that he was a massive story around the country. That’s because Rajneesh and his followers spent $125 million back in 1981 to build Rajneeshpuram in in the Oregon desert, a 64,000-acre “utopia,” complete with a hospital, schools, restaurants, a shopping mall, and their own airport. What happened there and in the surrounding area is so far-fetched that you won’t believe it’s all true.One of the great things about the doc is the way the filmmakers weave footage from the actual events in alongside new interviews with the people involved.Our guest is journalist-podcaster/multi-hyphenate Los Angeles native, Richard Parks III. Richard has written for Lucky Peach, the New York Times, and McSweeney's. He has created a radio drama with Wayne Coyne, the short doc Music Man Murray, a documentary about Biosphere2, and contributed to Snap Judgement and KCRW’s Lost Notes.Follow Richard on:Twitter: @reechardparksInstagram: @reechardparksFollow us on:Twitter: @supdocpodcastInstagram: @supdocpodcastFacebook: @supdocpodcastsign up for our mailing listAnd you can show your support to Sup Doc by donating on Patreon.