Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Buyer's remorse?

I have a soft spot for Biosphere 2, where I spent half of my Junior year as a student in Columbia University's Universe Semester astronomy intensive. So it was bittersweet to see that Biosphere and the surrounding land have been picked up by CDO Ranching & Development. They plan to build 1,500 new homes and a resort on the land around the structure.
What about the Biosphere itself? Tens of thousands of visitors are still touring the facility every year, and the University of Arizona may be able to secure a lease that would allow scientists to continue using it as a research facility. It's not clear whether the cost of maintaining it is worth the scientific payoff, but the dome might yet be spared the axe.

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