Biosphere 2 was intended to demonstrate how humans could live on other planets, but instead it showed that life cannot be sustained once contact with the earth’s natural ecosystems is severed.
This was intended to be a 2 year project with no intervention from the outside world where scientists would study a small group and the environment. This didn't happen. With high levels of carbon dioxide and other compounds dangerously collecting in the air, oxygen had to be routinely pumped into the enclosure. Most of the animal and plant life died off within, or shortly after, the first year - causing the band to split in two where each member was already experiencing symptoms of starvation. Because of this, nourishment had to be provided months prior to the end of the experiment for the safety of the participants.
