By Alina Hartounian, July 7, 2025 Photos by Caitlin O’Hara/for NPR
‘Inside the evolution of Biosphere 2, from ’90s punchline to scientific playground’
More than three decades after it made headlines as a sealed habitat experiment, Biosphere 2 is thriving once again—this time as a powerful tool for understanding Earth’s changing climate. As highlighted in a recent NPR article, this remarkable facility has evolved from a bold ecological prototype into a cutting-edge research hub.
Now operated by the University of Arizona, Biosphere 2 is no longer focused on human survival in closed systems, but rather on real-world environmental science. Researchers use the immense, self-contained biomes to simulate droughts, study soil-carbon cycles, and model the impacts of rising temperatures on ecosystems. In one experiment, scientists observed how tropical forests respond to prolonged dry conditions—offering crucial data as droughts intensify globally.
What makes Biosphere 2 so valuable is its scale and control: it allows scientists to study ecological responses in ways that can’t be replicated in the wild. It also reminds us of the original lesson of the experiment—that Earth’s systems are intricate, unpredictable, and deeply interdependent.
As we confront a warming planet, Biosphere 2 continues to illuminate one essential truth: the more we understand Earth’s natural processes, the better we can protect them.
…and visitors still file through its doors, both for the sense of nostalgia and for the work it’s doing today. John Adams, the current COO, said people come just to take in the enormity of it all.
“There’s no other facility like this in the world,” he said.