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Biosphere II funding and research cut back

Posted by Hemos on from the pulling-back-out-of-it dept.

perfessor multigeek writes "Columbia U. is starting to pull out of Biosphere II. According to the New York Times (reg req. blah, blah) Columbia, under a new, more "pragmatic" leadership, disappointed with the science coming out, and short of cash with the stock market drop, is starting to pull funding and academic programs from Biosphere. Funny, none of the current articles even mention the original purpose, just this past week made more crucial, of preparing for building a synthetic biome in space or on Mars. Arrgh!"

3 of 20 comments (clear)

  1. Bio-Dome by SpiritHex · · Score: 1, Funny

    Did Pauly Shore screw things up again?

  2. They want funding by 20_ooodbye · · Score: 2, Funny

    They should make the inhabitants of the biosphere split into teams an complete a number of tricky challenges. The losing team could then vote one guy out of the biosphere Then all they would have to do is sell the TV rights

    1. Re:They want funding by perfessor+multigeek · · Score: 3, Funny

      The losing team could then vote one guy out of the biosphere.
      I dunno. From what I've read about life in BS II when it's being run as a pseudo-closed system (constant stench, ever-less healthy and varied environment and diet, roaches and other bugs crawling on *everything*, clothes that never get truly clean, cohabitants who get more annoying all the time, petty regulations, constant noise, etc.), I'ld think that the losers would be voted to *stay in* the environment.

      But then again, now that I look back at what I just wrote, the same description applies to most college dorms and I think that plenty of us would go back to that again if we had the excuse.
      That's it! BioSphere Frat House! Replace half the plants with palm trees, mango trees, etc., get a bunch of random frat boys from next year's Spring Break crowd to sign up (while drunk, of course), stock the place with beer, porn, and only one bathroom. Tell 'em that they have to catch and roast suckling pigs for their protein, give them two outfits each while having an endless succession of sorority girls and swimsuit models hanging out and working right on the other side of the wall and lock 'em in.
      See ya in a year, boys.
      I hereby nominate the brothers of Zeta Beta Tau. Heh, heh, heh.

      Rustin

      --
      Data is the lever, rigor the fulcrum, brains the force that drives it all.