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Permanent Undersea Homes Soon; Temporary Ones Now
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."
Thank you for that lame song in my head all day.
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.
Various Sea Gypsy cultures have been living out their entire lives on the water surface for eons.
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?
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."
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]
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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.
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.
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.
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