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Permanent Undersea Homes Soon; Temporary Ones Now

Posted by timothy on from the meet-our-butcher-dexter dept.

MMBK writes "Dennis Chamberland is one of the world's preeminent aquanauts. He's worked with NASA to develop living habitats and underwater plant growth labs, among other cool things. His next goal is establishing the world's first permanent underwater colony. This video gets to the heart of his project, literally and figuratively, as most is shot in his underwater habitat, Atlantica, off the coast of Key Largo, FL. The coolest part might be the moon pool, the room you swim into underwater."

122 comments

  1. Cousteau by flyingfsck · · Score: 2, Informative

    It was tried in the 1960s in the Red Sea

    --
    Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
    1. Re:Cousteau by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      Yeah, and we all know how it went. Damn splicers.

    2. Re:Cousteau by sheehaje · · Score: 5, Insightful

      With 1960's technology. He said in the video that it was impractical to do it back then. But using modern technology it could be.

      While I wouldn't want to live underwater myself, if this is done responsibly I am all for it. We talk about colonizing space, this is actually a step in that direction, and a lot cheaper and will push the same types of technology if we are ever going to colonize space.

    3. Re:Cousteau by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      One interesting problem that they encountered was human waste disposal.

      Their first approach was to vent it into the surrounding water directly. They had to stop doing this after the turds started floating to the surface and lingering. Most people don't realize this, but the Red Sea is actually quite calm due to it almost being a lake. These lingering turds posed a health risk, so they had to find an alternative method.

      Their next approach was to store the feces and urine in plastic bags. This proved to be a better solution, but often times they suffered from burst bags that spilled their contents all over, a shortage of bags, and stockpiles of bags when a trip to the surface had to be postponed.

      The project was canceled at this point, so they never tried any additional methods.

    4. Re:Cousteau by hughperkins · · Score: 1

      So, this could be combined with this research into sewage disposal bags, to create fertilizer for their farms and so on.

    5. Re:Cousteau by biryokumaru · · Score: 1

      Wow. Is it bad that I had absolutely no idea what you were talking about until halfway through the comments here? Is it worse that I've actually played that game?

      --
      When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
    6. Re:Cousteau by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      With 1960's technology. He said in the video that it was impractical to do it back then.

      You mean, if you give the people Internet access and Slashdot, they will happily forget that the view out of the window isn't that great?

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    7. Re:Cousteau by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What exactly are they using in terms of technology that was invented after the 60's?
      Stainless steel? 1821
      Rubber gaskets? 1839
      Tempered glass? 1943

    8. Re:Cousteau by Miseph · · Score: 1

      And porn. Mustn't forget the porn.

      --
      Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.
    9. Re:Cousteau by blackraven14250 · · Score: 1

      The reference didn't strike me immediately either, until I went back to "underwater" and went "Oh shit, there's a whole game that takes place down there!"

    10. Re:Cousteau by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 1

      I doubt that the interesting challenges are the structural. Hell, a bright Victorian engineer could probably have pulled off the structural side of an undersea habitat with enough pig iron, india-rubber, and willingness to keep sending down Dickensian orphans and cheap irish labor until the job was done.

      The real tricks are in things like small-scale closed loop recycling of important biological materials, local energy generation, and the like. That territory isn't wholly unexplored; but it is likely where the greatest changes since the 60s have been made.

      Without that stuff, whatever "undersea habitat" you build will end up being largely or wholly dependent on a surface supply station and will be, in effect, a fancy diving bell. Congratulations, a technology that Aristotle mentioned, and that was in limited but active use in the 17th century. Impressive.

    11. Re:Cousteau by jonadab · · Score: 1

      It's still not practical, nor will be for the forseeable future.

      *Possible*, perhaps, but not practical. To be practical, there would have to be some benefit to it besides novelty. You'd have to be able to build whole cities down there and, importantly, these cities would have to support themselves economically in some fashion. That's just not going to happen now or soon.

      I suppose you could build an exotic resort down there, and charge rich people an arm and a leg to visit for a week at a time. Beyond that, there's no practical benefit at this time.

      --
      Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
    12. Re:Cousteau by BillX · · Score: 1

      He already said internet access.

      --
      Caveat Emptor is not a business model.
    13. Re:Cousteau by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The trouble is, if you have the technology needed to build a modestly self-sustaining(ie. trade is perfectly ok; but it can't simply be a subsidized tech demo or a tourist-trap for the extremely rich) underwater colony, you almost certainly could use very similar tech to build in all but the most hostile parts of the earth's land area for substantially less money. Or, if the technology is deeply tied to the sea in some way, surface vessels are (comparatively) cheap and easy. That is what drives the point of practicality out even further, quite probably to an undefined point in the future. Not only is the tech Just Not There Yet; but almost every advance in the direction of getting it there will make living on marginal land easier and cheaper even faster than it will make living underwater easier and cheaper.

      Since you are immersed in salt water, any sort of agriculture will either involve serious halophiles or highly efficient closed loop freshwater stuff. Hey, look, if you have the tech to manage that in a more or less cost-effective way, you can have your pick of the earth's presently unfarmable deserts, without the cost of pressure resistant naval architecture or the risks of running out of air. Plenty of wind and solar power, too.

      If you can generate substantial amounts of electricity, by some workable means, for your little underwater habitat, this implies that you are just an extension cord away from being able to bring large quantities of electricity to whatever coastal region you fancy. Loads of unused or underused coast that would be quite pleasant if you had the energy for some desalination.

    14. Re:Cousteau by DesScorp · · Score: 1

      With 1960's technology. He said in the video that it was impractical to do it back then. But using modern technology it could be.

      >

      It's still impractical. Even with newer technology, living under the sea is hugely impractical. This is a neat idea that's a lot like rocket packs or flying cars; perhaps doable, but so impractical as to ensure that it never becomes widespread.

      --
      Life is hard, and the world is cruel
    15. Re:Cousteau by ItzRobZ · · Score: 1

      Since you are immersed in salt water, any sort of agriculture will either involve serious halophiles or highly efficient closed loop freshwater stuff. Hey, look, if you have the tech to manage that in a more or less cost-effective way, you can have your pick of the earth's presently unfarmable deserts, without the cost of pressure resistant naval architecture or the risks of running out of air. Plenty of wind and solar power, too.

      The desert would require buildings/houses that can reflect quite a bit of sun rays. If it doesn't, houses will start to cook people. Having that much heat, sand, and wind will make having open houses impractical as well.

      Having water to make farmable land isn't enough. The plants need to be able to survive the extreme temperatures in the desert.

      All in all, undersea housing and desert housing will probably balance out, due to the fact that it is much cheaper to create heat than to remove heat. At the very least, you'll get a large supply fish in the ocean.

      If you can generate substantial amounts of electricity, by some workable means, for your little underwater habitat, this implies that you are just an extension cord away from being able to bring large quantities of electricity to whatever coastal region you fancy. Loads of unused or underused coast that would be quite pleasant if you had the energy for some desalination.

      Well undersea power generation might not involve a coast at all. The issue is how long of an extension cord will be needed to bring large quantities of electricity to any coastal region.

      Living in the ocean may not be practical, but it is an alternative to other areas in the world.

    16. Re:Cousteau by Phoghat · · Score: 1
      That was then, this is now (in the 60s we had four function calculators that weighed pounds and cost $100s).

      Cousteau, the inventor of the first commercially successful Aqua Lung did it in '43. "Sea Hunt came on in '58 when I was 11 and I watched it religiously and was fascinated by the undersea world. One assignment in grade school was to write a business letter ordering something. I was about 7 or 8 and ordered a Porpoise Model CA single hose scuba tank, regulator, fins, weights, dive knife etc. The poor addled nun gave it back to me saying there's no such thing.

      Now, going to Cozumel, or any of the popular dive sites is something that any one can do, and you don't even have to buy equipment, you can just rent. Would I live in an under water domain? Sure. I'm retired now and could see myself living there at least part time.

      --
      Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
    17. Re:Cousteau by Posting=!Working · · Score: 1

      The desert would require buildings/houses that can reflect quite a bit of sun rays.If it doesn't, houses will start to cook people. Having that much heat, sand, and wind will make having open houses impractical as well.

      White paint, doors and windows have been around a long, long time. Humans have lived in the desert now for a long, long time.

      Have you ever been to Palm Springs, California or Phoenix, Arizona? Both of them are in the desert, with pretty much nothing but desert between them. Driving between them I was surprised at the number of farms. There are long stretches of nothing, but there's still plenty of agriculture. And the Palm Springs area is loaded with greenery, you can grow nearly anything there. Both of these areas were nothing but desert when they were founded.

      You can see the farms bordering the desert here:
      http://maps.google.com/maps?q=palm+springs+california+aerial+1920&hl=en&safe=off&gbv=2&ie=UTF8&ei=_-ecS_abB6DSNPzd6eYN&hq=aerial+1920&hnear=Palm+Springs,+CA&ll=33.576299,-116.100426&spn=0.139015,0.308647&t=h&z=12

      Palm Springs in 1965:
      http://www.palmspringslife.com/images/Blog2006-01-13w1965.jpg

      --
      This sentence no verb.
    18. Re:Cousteau by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      one possibility: Carbon nanotubes
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_nanotube

  2. Finally! by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1

    It's about time we as a species started living in the water a bit more. I don't know why we'd approach underwater homes ahead of living on the surface first. I'm sure you'd get used to the rocking and a giant village on a raft would be great.

    --

    Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    1. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes I'm sure it would be lovely until the smokers who live on a giant oil tanker show up and ruins your day.

  3. Poor Hennessey. by EdZ · · Score: 1

    It'll all be great until Zissou up and pilfers it while you're out.

  4. seasteading.org by AlexLibman · · Score: 0, Interesting

    In won't be government agencies that will develop the first successful seasteads (and someday spacesteads), it will be the people trying to get away from them!

  5. Asimov? by celibate+for+life · · Score: 1

    Isn't there an Asimov short story about an experimental underwater city that needed Government resources to expand while the Government granted all funding to outerspace colonization?

    1. Re:Asimov? by Rockoon · · Score: 1

      I recall a story where the One World Government(tm) existed in a floating city that had no propulsion of its own. It just drifted around aimlessly, by design. Not sure if this was an Asimov, Clarke, or some authors work. Its been way too long.

      --
      "His name was James Damore."
    2. Re:Asimov? by Mark+J+Tilford · · Score: 1

      Waterclap

      --
      -----------
      100% pure freak
  6. Doesn't get too interesting untill they find Adam by MuscaDomestica · · Score: 1

    Then you get the cool Plasmids.

  7. Rapture? by thePowersGang · · Score: 2, Funny

    I hope to god this doesn't turn into a real life Bioshock... or maybe not, Rapture seems like a cool idea without the Adam mutated splicers.

    1. Re:Rapture? by Krau+Ming · · Score: 0

      If the home comes with a low-interest rate mortgage and a big daddy suit, then count me in.

  8. Where's my frickin... by pisto_grih · · Score: 1

    ..flying car? I wont be happy until I can fly home and play Duke Nukem Forever.

    1. Re:Where's my frickin... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ..flying car?

      I wont be happy until I can fly home and play Duke Nukem Forever.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsFfBB2W7IA

    2. Re:Where's my frickin... by JesterJosh · · Score: 1

      "You don't think Einstein liked hacking guy's feet off, but no one ever said anything about it cause he's one of the greatest thinkers of our time." Just sayin'

  9. Funny. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I've dove in that lagoon and checked out the labs they have there. One is used as a hotel that you can book a room in, the other is a lab. It cracked me up that through the window of the research lab I could see a small fish tank with a fish in it.

  10. Unda da sea by MLS100 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thank you for that lame song in my head all day.

    1. Re:Unda da sea by CharlyFoxtrot · · Score: 1

      Glad I'm not suffering alone. The first thing I though was "I wonder if they can build them pineapple shaped?"

      --
      If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
    2. Re:Unda da sea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I believe he's talking about The Little Mermaid, not Spongebob... so you're still alone :)

    3. Re:Unda da sea by zurmikopa · · Score: 1

      Gah! Now you've infected us all!

  11. Good luck calling 911 by bakaorg · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Sounds cool, but I think there are some practical downsides to living underwater.  UPS/Fedex deliveries.  Service calls.  Public utilities (fresh water, sewer, electrical, gas).  General safety in the face of disasters becomes much more of a concern.

    Water cooling your servers might be easier--as long as the saltwater doesn't corrode your fittings.

    Best leave this to plant growth labs instead of primary living quarters.

    1. Re:Good luck calling 911 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You're kidding me right?

      Deliveries go to a PO box at a nearby port (for now, otherwise in the future you can bet UPS will have subs -- business will adapt). Service calls would be handled by the local techs in the /community/, fresh water will of course have to be shipped in or desalinated, poop will feed the plants (or the kelp, it's the freakin ocean, plenty of things poop in it as-is (including us)), electric comes from whatever the handiest source happens to be (there's always tidal but I would say geothermic will become dominant, it might even drive research for these habitats). Who the hell would use gas down there? Hello, closed space...

      Concerning natural disasters I'd probably want to be at the bottom of the ocean during anything you can possibly think of, so long as i'm not sitting on top of one of the many fault lines that are under the ocean. You would be untouched by pretty much anything else short of a catastrophic impact event. Aliens might even miss you when they scan the planet while invading, for all the good it would do!

      Watercooling your servers would be a nightmare, salt corrodes such things quickly. It'll be bad enough with the salt water in the air. Would make for a good intercooler for an oil bath of some kind though!

      I think it's possible and expect to see it within my lifetime. I just don't think many people will buy in to it but we're not really "there" yet. But we will be.

    2. Re:Good luck calling 911 by OrangeCatholic · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Yeah I'm torn between "visionary" and "crackpot." Besides the beautiful scenery, what exactly is the purpose of living underwater? You can't go outside. You won't have any neighbors per se. The whole house has got to be completely self-sufficient, which means expensive and perfect, and you can't make improvements to it. So much for teaching your kids to play baseball or mowing the lawn. And the lack of sunshine is a psychological disaster waiting to happen.

      In short, I think you're going to spend the entire time wanting to go to the surface, so you can go shopping, eat at a restaurant, hold down a job, or make friends. Forced exile is useful...how?

    3. Re:Good luck calling 911 by urusan · · Score: 3, Informative

      In the video he specifically addresses these concerns.

      It's not an exile. You can go outside into the surrounding sea and to the surface (either by swimming there directly or taking a vehicle).

      Not everything needs to be made underwater. Trade between land and sea will be important. The goal is merely to make that capacity available. Furthermore, even if everything is made underwater it won't be a single habitat that is self-sufficient, but rather a whole community of habitats. Friends, jobs, shopping, etc. will be available within the undersea community.

      It would certainly be very different, but I'm sure some people will like that a lot. Others may be willing to put up with the differences for other reasons, such as getting away from a government regime they strongly disagree with.

      The lack of sunshine issue you mention is a concern, but it does not seem insurmountable. Perhaps a sun lamp and vitamin D supplements would do the trick?

    4. Re:Good luck calling 911 by hey! · · Score: 2

      The only difference between "crackpot" and "visionary" is the degree of of appeal the crack/vision holds for you.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    5. Re:Good luck calling 911 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, I forgot. Access to medical facilities will also be limited of course, unless you happen to have a rounded medical staff that happens to live in your underwater habitation complex.

      For the future I see one of two things happening: Ambulances as we have now, or fully automated/remotely operated medical facilities.

      I have seen the future! Sweet!

    6. Re:Good luck calling 911 by Ozric · · Score: 1

      The only difference between "crackpot" and "visionary" is the degree of of appeal the crack/vision holds for you.

      I am with ya, a few years ago I stated that people would at some point, start living under the water due to cosmic rays and solar radiation concerns. People thought I was a crack pot for suggesting it, I still stand by my statements and think it is a valid line of research.

      Crack pot or no, think of the view from your porch.

    7. Re:Good luck calling 911 by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      Yeah I'm torn between "visionary" and "crackpot." Besides the beautiful scenery, what exactly is the purpose of living underwater? You can't go outside. You won't have any neighbors per se. The whole house has got to be completely self-sufficient, which means expensive and perfect, and you can't make improvements to it. So much for teaching your kids to play baseball or mowing the lawn. And the lack of sunshine is a psychological disaster waiting to happen.

      So basically you're saying that this will make an almost perfect selection process for future astronauts.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    8. Re:Good luck calling 911 by OrangeCatholic · · Score: 1

      >perfect selection process for future astronauts

      Well yeah, exactly. It's when he mentions having kids underwater that I got creeped out.

    9. Re:Good luck calling 911 by karnal · · Score: 1

      The more I think about it, the more I come to actually like this scenario.

      I live closer to the city, and with some of my neighbors - barking dogs, yelling drunken fights etc. It gets old pretty quick, and having something underwater means it can be as quiet as me and my wife want it to be.

      I'm fine with people, but I'd rather come home and not have to deal with neighbors. I know, I could move, but financially right now is not the time to do it.

      --
      Karnal
    10. Re:Good luck calling 911 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And what about if someone suffers a heart attack, stroke, or something else that leaves them incapacitated? If you can't fit them in scuba gear, you can't get them to the surface.

    11. Re:Good luck calling 911 by RobertLTux · · Score: 1

      thats easy "isolation pods" ,sarcophagus or whatever you want to call a box with a stretcher (which could be attached to floats)

      --
      Any person using FTFY or editing my postings agrees to a US$50.00 charge
    12. Re:Good luck calling 911 by jonadab · · Score: 1

      > Deliveries go to a PO box at a nearby port

      Yes, and then?

      > (for now, otherwise in the future you can bet UPS will have subs -- business will adapt).

      Just like they've adapted and started delivering to the various research bases in Antarctica?

      The thing is, as impractical as an undersea colony would be, it would still be useful -- as a demonstration of some of the reasons why the moon colonies people keep proposing aren't practical.

      --
      Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
    13. Re:Good luck calling 911 by jonadab · · Score: 2, Interesting

      > Yeah I'm torn between "visionary" and "crackpot."

      That's a false dichotomy. It's entirely possible to be both.

      --
      Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
    14. Re:Good luck calling 911 by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 1

      Have you heard the rather sardonic definition: "Boat -noun. A hole in the water into which one throws money."?

      Submarine hardware is presumably rather worse. Particularly with the speculative crash in some of the formerly pricey exurban developments, it'll be a cold day in hell before submarines are cheaper than suburbs if you want peace and quiet(and, for everybody who isn't a field marine biologist, the commute will still be better).

    15. Re:Good luck calling 911 by petermgreen · · Score: 1

      Is there any info on what depths we are talking? it seems that would have a huge impact on the difficulty of evacuation.

      --
      note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
    16. Re:Good luck calling 911 by Spy+Handler · · Score: 1

      Bust Out Another Thousand

  12. thousands of years doing it already by FriendlyLurker · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Various Sea Gypsy cultures have been living out their entire lives on the water surface for eons.

  13. Pioneers... by Aladrin · · Score: 1

    I'm not much of a pioneer, so this 4-person habitat doesn't sound like my thing, but wake me when they've got it up to a few thousand people and internet access and it could be fun to live there.

    --
    "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
    1. Re:Pioneers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      According to their plans, the habitat will provide wireless broad band and cell reception.

      It might be a bit of a sausagefest though.

  14. Moon pool? by YourExperiment · · Score: 1

    This underwater colony sounds awesome. Would you kindly reserve me an apartment there?

    Incidentally - will the moon pool be filled with moon milk?

  15. Sales Pitch... by stms · · Score: 0

    Yeah, sure it ain't one of those la di da above ground places, but if you like dank... hey forget about it.

  16. use it for a prison! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    then it would be the setting of a crappy "near future" sci fi movie or maybe a decent video game

  17. Anybody Remember Seaquest by rossdee · · Score: 1, Informative

    There was a SciFi series called Seaquest DSV Starring Roy Sheider. TheSub of the title went round patrolling among undersea colonies.
    The second season was called Seaquest 2032.

    1. Re:Anybody Remember Seaquest by pommiekiwifruit · · Score: 1
      Starring Darwin the dolphin and Wil Wheaton as Wesley, I mean Mathew Waterhouse as Adrick, I mean Jonathan Brandis as Lucas.

      Woah, I didn't know he killed himself aged 27 because of the flak over that role (or other reasons). That's really unfortunate. I liked him in it! (and the other two characters I mentioned).

    2. Re:Anybody Remember Seaquest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The graphics were done on Amigas using VideoToaster and Lightwave iirc.

  18. below sea level by scheveningen · · Score: 2, Funny

    Having lived below sea level in Holland for the most of my life: duh.

  19. ob. Futurama quote (re: same tech for space & by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Leela: "Five thousand feet!"
    Farnsworth: "Dear Lord! That's over one hundred and fifty athmospheres of pressure."
    Fry: "How many athmospheres can the ship withstand?"
    Farnsworth: "Well, it's a space ship. So I'd say anywhere between zero and one."

  20. "A new generation of children will be born there & by D4C5CE · · Score: 1

    – the first citizens of a new $there civilization"

    $there is "space" on even decades, "ocean" on odd?
    Except for $there, the mantra seems to have been reiterated unchanged ever since Jules Verne or so.

  21. Rapture? by Eggbloke · · Score: 1

    I am Andrew Ryan, and I am here to ask you a question: Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his own brow?
    No, says the man in Washington. It belongs to the poor.
    No, says the man in the Vatican. It belongs to God.
    No, says the man in Moscow. It belongs to everyone.
    I rejected those answers. Instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose...
    Rapture!
    A city where the artist would not fear the censors.
    Where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality.
    Where the great would not be constrained by the small.
    With the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city, as well.

    --
    I care not for your karma and your mod points.
  22. Yay! by Skapare · · Score: 1

    ... no more having to mow the lawn.

    --
    now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
  23. Andrew Ryan anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Where the hell is the Bioshock tag guys :)

  24. Global warming solution. . . by JSBiff · · Score: 4, Funny

    Here we go - just start replacing current coastal buildings with these, and when the sea level rises 8 or 10 feet, everyone will be ready.

    [JohnHodgemanVoice]You're welcome![/JohnHodgemanVoice]

  25. Letting Leviathan loose 1st,and growing from there by D4C5CE · · Score: 1

    the first expedition will be initiated by the submersion of the Leviathan

    A page right out of the Illuminatus! trilogy. Eye optional?
    So for once they let someone work for NASA who knows his conspiracy literature. ;-)
    Best tongue-in-cheek mission name ever since the obviously Doom-playing Russians calling theirs Phobos-Grunt.

    Hagbard Celine: The sea is crueler than the land, sometimes.
    Howard: The sea is cleaner than the land. There's no hate. Just death when and as needed.

  26. Why? by DavidShor · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I just can't see the motivation for living underwater, outside of a couple of tiny niches like deep-sea mining or off-shore oil drilling. The latest estimates are that world population will level off fairly soon, and there really is no shortage of land. Even for eccentrics who want to live in isolation near the water, it would probably be cheaper and logistically easier to build a cottage somewhere on the coast line far away from the city.

    .

    Some people have brought up sea-steading or escaping tyrannical governments, but wouldn't a cruise ships fill that role more effectively at a fraction of the cost? (That's assuming the thinking of the movement is sound. The French are not exactly tyrants, but they had no problem bombing that green-peace vessel in the 80's. If you're rich enough to live in an underwater city, you're probably better off buying your way into to a nice Western Country...)

    Maybe I'm missing something. Feel free to fill me in.

    1. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wouldn't filling you in leave you dammed?

      *G,D&R*

    2. Re:Why? by __aamhyo4754 · · Score: 1

      Because you can't develop plasmids in the nice Western Countries.

    3. Re:Why? by Faerunner · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure about sea-steading as a reliable way of life but escaping tyrannical gov'ts might be an interesting exercise. As far as I understand, the coastal shelf is in most areas 'claimed' already by one country or another, and I don't think we have the technology to build far enough away from the "shallow" water over the shelves to reasonably escape gov't claims to the area. I could be wrong - I've never seen maps of the sea borders of coastal countries, nor do I know what the laws are regarding owning "land" in areas off the coast, and whether you could declare undeveloped seabed as unclaimed for the purposes of claiming it as an independent nation.

      You're really on point there - might as well buy your way into a nicer country, assuming you can find one.

    4. Re:Why? by KarlIsNotMyName · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Like moving to another, living underwater might keep you safe from certain mass extinction events on the surface of the Earth.

      We could also build a city a few hundred feet under the surface. Wouldn't be able to sustain it without the resources on the surface for quite a while yet, though.

      --
      We are all God's parents.
    5. Re:Why? by KarlIsNotMyName · · Score: 1

      I know, preview... bah, I still wish I could edit slashdot posts. *another planet, of course.

      --
      We are all God's parents.
    6. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Once you pass outside of 25 miles off of the coast of the US, you are in international waters. You can do whatever the hell you want to, as long as you don't make a nuisance of yourself. Funny, that's how the US proper used to be...

    7. Re:Why? by Black+Gold+Alchemist · · Score: 1

      The other thing you could do is unobtainium mining. Since most of the sea floor has not been mined, we could mine for stuff like platinum, gold, indium, and those trendy rare-earth metals. There's also uranium and thorium everywhere and no-one will care if you build a nuclear power plant out there.

      --
      Responsibility is an addiction
      Virtue is a temptation
      Community is a cartel
    8. Re:Why? by Risha · · Score: 1

      Permanent cruise ship homes already exist.

    9. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, consider the novelty of, say, an underwater shopping mall. Suppose you have a large, walk-through entrance near the coast, glass everywhere, and you can spend the afternoon in coffee shops, department stores, a park, etc. all while looking up and out and beautiful sea creatures.

    10. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What makes you think that the world population will level off anytime soon?
      The only way I can see that happening is if food production can't keep up. When that happens, we'll just have more wars, starving people, and dead.
      Not exactly a good outcome, in my opinion.

    11. Re:Why? by DavidShor · · Score: 4, Informative

      Birth-rates decrease as living standards go up, which is why Japan and most of Europe are below replacement level. Latest estimate is that the world stabilizes at 9-10 billion.

    12. Re:Why? by Faerunner · · Score: 1

      That's VERY useful to know, thank you!

    13. Re:Why? by DavidShor · · Score: 1
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_waters and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Seabed_Authority are instructive.

      .

      Basically, it's not allowed to "own" parcels of ocean far off the coast, and everything you do is subject to the International Tribunal of the law of the Sea or the International Seabed Authority.

      The whole "International Waters as a free-for-all" thing is really a bit of a myth.

    14. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's VERY useful to know, thank you!

      The other AC is not entirely correct, there are international agreements governing activities of private persons in international waters. However, provided you are causing a navigation hazard in the established shipping lanes, damaging other people's ships/property, pirating, polluting, or overfishing (and the last one hasn't been enforced consistently until very recently) there isn't much in the way of regulations.

  27. Woot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As an avid diver, I think this is totally awesome!

    I would be completely down to move in somewhere like this. For my whole life? Of course not. For months at a time - absolutely!
    He's right about us trashing the oceans; watching coral reefs bleach and die over the years is incredibly depressing, not to mention the Japanese affinity for whales....

    Video was slashdotted, been able to watch a couple minutes so far.

  28. Oblig Simpsons by AlgorithMan · · Score: 2, Funny

    Homer: Stupid Flounders

    --
    The MAFIAA is a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first up against the wall when the revolution comes
    1. Re:Oblig Simpsons by AlgorithMan · · Score: 1

      That line is from S16E15 "Future Drama", where Homer has an underwater flat and his garden furniture is stolen by flounders... Yeah, I'm a nerd...

      --
      The MAFIAA is a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first up against the wall when the revolution comes
    2. Re:Oblig Simpsons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm gonna go watch that ep. right now.. Thanks guy!

  29. How is this being financed? by Locke2005 · · Score: 4, Funny

    They really need to beware of predatory lending practices when financing these habitats... they could very easily become underwater on their mortgage!

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    1. Re:How is this being financed? by T+Murphy · · Score: 1

      Depending where they are, loan sharks may be a big problem.

      --
      My webcomic
  30. Giant Sea Monsters! by bipbop · · Score: 1

    Seriously, I'd be afraid living at the bottom of the sea, because of abyssal gigantism (look it up!). This may be a bit irrational on my part, but there's some HUGE monsters, and over time we just seem to discover scarier and huger ones, like Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni. Even if it turned out to be perfectly safe, I'd be harboring an irrational fear of these beasts CRUSHING MY HOUSE while I lived there. Yikes!

  31. But... by TheMiddleRoad · · Score: 1

    You still have to trim the kelp and de-barnacle the roof.

  32. mm memory serves me by MrShaggy · · Score: 1

    James Bond has already dealt with this menace

    --
    I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them.
  33. You have to look with better eyes than that. by zippthorne · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There have been underwater habitats off of key largo for a while now, since the sixties, at least, and from what I've seen (in ads for UW vacations, and a discovery special about a UMD research vessel) they're pretty cramped. Also, they're saturation dives albeit shallow ones.

    I wouldn't want to live in anything with a moon pool for the saturation reason alone, leaving out the small space and constant danger. It certainly wouldn't be a good place to raise a family (what would extended saturation dives do for children's developing bones, I wonder.)

    Considering the expense and danger, these things will always be just a curiosity. A pretty neat one, though. I wish they'd kept the Abyss set open for dive tourism. That would've been a pretty awesome dive.

    --
    Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    1. Re:You have to look with better eyes than that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Always" is a funy word..

      I am living in Dubai with my Chinese wife. We have seen a lot of projects made to show off both here in this country and in the other countries we visit.

      "Hydropolis Underwater Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates": http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/Hydropolis/Hydropolis1.html

  34. Could they find a duller host by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't watch this video late at night. It's a real snoozer.

  35. Cool idea, but what's the point? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The bubble house isn't getting any benefit from being in the water. All the resources come from the surface.

    Might as well set it on a parking lot. Then it doesn't even need to be airtight.

    I really wonder where the waste water goes. Doubtful they're flushing the toilet into the lagoon. Probably has a pipe buried beneath the floor that pumps ......... back to the surface!

  36. Hygiene by IonOtter · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The thing they didn't cover very much, is the one thing that is actually most important: hygiene.

    Bacteria and especially fungi absolutely thrive under pressure, and a mild case of Athlete's Foot can rapidly become severe, even hazardous as the infection gets worse. Fungal infections were one of the most serious problems onboard the previous endeavors, as they were impossible to eradicate once established in the living areas. Bacterial infections were even more dangerous, as the partial pressure ratio of gases in the atmosphere-and also the bloodstream-effectively doubles, giving the bugs plenty of fuel.

    They did touch on the hygiene issue with the shower, but didn't say why other than the obvious reasons? But if you're going to live underwater, under more than one atmosphere, hygiene becomes absolutely vital.

    --
    [End Of Line]
  37. Beneath the surface.. by slashmojo · · Score: 1

    lies the future! SeaQuest FTW

    Cool show.. except for when it went (way) off the rails on occasion.

    About damn time we started colonizing the ocean one way or another.. there's a whole lot of space out there!

    1. Re:Beneath the surface.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't you mean "SeaTrek"?

  38. he's patented the key technology by SuperBanana · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Dennis Chamberland: "So, the key problem is carbon dioxide scrubbing"

    Interviewer: "And you've solved it?"

    Dennis Chamberland: "Yep!"

    Interviewer: "So, what is it?"

    Dennis Chamberland: "I'd lose my patent if I told you."

    So, basically, he wants us all to live underwater, paying patent royalties to him. You'll be paying for two gas bills- one to heat your underwater habitat, the other to breathe.

    I'd really like to know how someone working on this for NASA managed to get a patent. That patent should be public property.

    --
    Please help metamoderate.
    1. Re:he's patented the key technology by blankinthefill · · Score: 1

      1. Patents only last a very limited time. in 40 or 50 years, when people may start seriously looking at this option, the patent on his CO2 scrubber will be long gone. 2. Its been known for a long time that in places where Oxygen is not naturally found, you're going to have to pay for it somehow. Under water and in space, oxygen is not a guarantee, and work must be done to produce breathable atmosphere. Why do you think that work should be done for free? It will either be done by some entrepreneur, who's going to be in it for money, or by the government of the habitat, using your taxes. Only on a planet with its enormous biosphere of oxygen producing plants and huge reserves of land on which to grow them could you have any hope of NOT paying for your breathable atmosphere.

    2. Re:he's patented the key technology by Black+Gold+Alchemist · · Score: 1

      Carbon dioxide scrubbing is already a solved problem. You mix baking soda with quick lime (CaO) and produce limestone. You then heat up the limestone and release the carbon dioxide gas in a closed container.

      If he does have a better CO2 capture method, he should use it to capture CO2 from the air, as CO2 + Hydrogen = gasoline.

      --
      Responsibility is an addiction
      Virtue is a temptation
      Community is a cartel
    3. Re:he's patented the key technology by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

      He’s a total idiot:

      Dennis Chamberland: "I'd lose my patent if I told you."

      All patents are by definition published openly! Or else nobody could check if it’s patented. Here’s one I found in a 5 second Google search: http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090054763

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
  39. Will it allow me to escape Obamacare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    DO... NOT... WANT!!!

    Obongo: "We're going to make sure every man, woman, and child has insurance, regardless of pre-existing conditions."

    Public: "But doesn't that defeat the point of insurance? Isn't that a bit like buying homeowner's insurance after your house has already burned down? Why wouldn't I just drop my insurance, pay the federal fine, and then if I ever really need health insurance just buy it then?"

    Obongo: "Insurance companies are evil profit whores, but we're going to pay them directly with tax dollars to add millions of new customers. That will show those greedy motherfuckers!"

    Public: "What? That doesn't even make sense."

  40. A new life, under the sea by SoVeryTired · · Score: 1

    Under the sea,
    under the sea.
    No accusations,
    just friendly crustaceans,
    under the sea.

    --
    Slashdot: news for Apple. Stuff that Apple.
  41. Re:ob. Futurama quote (re: same tech for space &am by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    No idea why you were modded insightful. Big deal that the hulls are subject to different design ideals. A hardcover book will resist bending more than the paperback version. Still the same story on the inside.

    There couldn't possibly be any crossover for oh.. I don't know.. say sustainable atmosphere recycling, waste management, or food production.

  42. I can see it now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am Andrew Ryan.....

  43. Lose his patent? by weston · · Score: 1

    Dennis Chamberland: "I'd lose my patent if I told you."

    Can that actually happen?

    My understanding was that the whole point of patents is that you could tell everybody about your invention and still keep a claim to exclusive licensing power.

    --
    Tweet, tweet.
    1. Re:Lose his patent? by Tim+C · · Score: 1

      Indeed. In fact in the patent itself you are supposed to describe the invention in enough detail that an expert in the field could implement it from that description. That's the deal - you get a government-mandated, limited-time monopoly, we get the full details of your invention so we can utilise it when that monopoly ends.

      I am not a lawyer or a patent examiner, but it sounds like bullshit to me.

      --
      It's official. Most of you are morons.
    2. Re:Lose his patent? by BillX · · Score: 1

      If so, it means it's a patent application he's "thinking about" but hasn't actually filed yet.

      --
      Caveat Emptor is not a business model.
  44. Another source for the video? by Willbur · · Score: 1

    The video isn't playing for me. Is there another version out there? I found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMCtzuEoOlM , but it's only a short ad.

    1. Re:Another source for the video? by Willbur · · Score: 1

      Here's a little more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihoWNnEZ5zg Again, it isn't a full doco, but it shows what the place looks like.

  45. That IS a curiosity... by zippthorne · · Score: 1

    Yeah, that's gonna get built.

    Dubai is way over-extended, credit wise, and palm jumeira is undersold, let alone the "Dubai World" artificial archipelago. You think there's money for a giant submarine?

    In fact, checking the web site, http://www.hydropolis.com/, it looks like they haven't even broken ground on the brochure.

    --
    Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  46. Aquarius habitat has been doing this for decades by DeanPentcheff · · Score: 1

    It's very peculiar that nowhere in the discussion here or Chamberland's video does anyone mention NOAA's Aquarius habitat, in operation since 1988: http://www.uncw.edu/aquarius/ . Aquarius has been in operation as a civilian research station underwater off Key Largo for years. Before that it was in the Virgin Islands. It is operated by NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) for marine biology research and NASA training. It's an amazing place where researchers get to do 10-day research projects that would be difficult or impossible to run from the surface.

    But what's not mentioned by Chamberland or anyone involved in his little promo piece is that living underwater is grueling. You're in a single-wide trailer equivalent with multiple other people. Going outside is wonderfully liberating, but y'know, it's cold. Even in Florida, once you've been in the water for a few hours, you're cold. Then you do it again. And again. It's humid and pretty much everyone gets skin problems after a few days.

    And you can't come up. You've saturated to 55-foot depth after a day, so you'd get the bends if you surfaced. So all your diving is done with cave-diving rigs that are designed for diving where there's no surface to go to. If you get in trouble, you have to get back to the habitat, not the surface. Oh, you'd probably survive if you had to surface, but it wouldn't be healthy or pretty. At the end of the 10-day mission it takes 18 hours to decompress to surface pressure.

    That said, it is really truly astounding to live underwater for a while. Looking out through the window at dinner at the fish, and realizing that they're looking at you: you're the one in the aquarium. It's a trip.

    But it's an incredibly resource-intensive thing to do. Rough estimates I recall from my Aquarius trips were that it cost about US$10,000 per day to support four researchers in the habitat. That's not sustainable for daily life.

    As far as I can tell, Dennis Chamberland wants to set up some sort of high-end hotel-like underwater facility. More power to him. But don't pretend that we're all going to have the chance to go live under the ocean.

  47. Re:ob. Futurama quote (re: same tech for space &am by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...what's an athmosphere?

  48. Like 2012 by hesaigo999ca · · Score: 1

    I saw the movie where everything is almost underwater in the movie 2012, and i think learning to build big mobile underwater habitats is a wickedly good idea, just in case...i'm just saying