In the ’80s, a group of scientists and artists wanted to know if they could recreate Earth’s ecosystem, so they built Biosphere 2 (Earth was known as Biosphere 1) in Oracle, Ariz. The experiment was ...

Biosphere 2 was touted as a new Noah’s Ark, a new Garden of Eden, a way to test how humans might colonize other worlds and study the effects of greenhouse gasses on Biosphere 1 — aka the Earth. Eight ...

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a new travel blog. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura. With dreams of colonizing Mars, John P. Allen, who made his millions in oil, funded the ...

ORACLE, Ariz. — Plopped in the Sonoran Desert, just outside Tucson, Ariz., sits a massive, multilevel greenhouse that's probably best known as the inspiration for a Pauly Shore movie. A slick, stepped ...

Dear EarthTalk: What ever became of the Biosphere 2 project in Arizona and what did we learn from it? – B.C., Tampa, FL Biosphere 2 project began in 1984, led by John Allen who called it “The Human ...

ORACLE, Ariz. — As for-sale listings go, this one is a real fixer-upper: a 10-bedroom, 5 ½-bath glass house in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. The landscaping is lush, but a bit overgrown. (Truth be told, ...

In Arizona, nature is diverse and dramatic. The state's Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is home to the world's largest natural travertine bridge, where visitors can hike and explore its unparalleled ...

At the foot of the Santa Catalina Mountains just outside Tucson is Biosphere 2, a sprawling scientific facility with many claims to fame: It is the largest closed system ever created. It hosted ...

In the ’80s, a group of scientists and artists wanted to know if they could recreate Earth’s ecosystem, so they built Biosphere 2 (Earth was known as Biosphere 1) in Oracle, Ariz. The experiment was ...