Imagine a bubble-like home where you could be totally self-sufficient and not need a single thing from the outside world.

想像一個泡泡狀的房子，在裡面你可以自給自足，不需要從外面的世界取得任何東西。

Scientists have been experimenting with these so-called biodomes since the 1970s, but what if you lived in a bubble?

科學家在西元 1970 年代曾經做過所謂生態館的實驗，但如果你住在一個泡泡裡呢？

If you've ever seen pictures of these biodomes, you know that they are so cool.

如果你曾看過生態館的照片，你會知道它真的很酷。

They're filled with various ecosystems like deserts, farms, and rainforests, to provide inhabitants with everything they need to survive without any help from the outside world.

裡面充滿各種生態系統，像沙漠、農場、雨林，提供居民所需，讓他們不用依賴外界的幫助來生存。

In order to live in a self-sufficient biodome, you'd need 4 basic things - food, water, air, and electricity.

為了生活在自給自足的生態館中，你需要 4 個基本的東西 — 食物、水、空氣跟電力。

Food would come from a farm-like area housing plants and animals.

食物可以從一個充滿植物與動物的類農場區域取得。

It could have animals like chickens and goats for eggs and dairy, but using them for meat in an environment where you can't just get more delivered wouldn't be the smartest idea.

那裡會有動物，如雞跟羊可以取得蛋跟羊奶，但若要做為食用肉品的來源，在一個你沒辦法獲得更多補給的地方，實在不是個好主意。

Fruits, veggies, and beans growing on your farm could provide you with additional nutrients to make up for the lack of meat.

水果、蔬菜跟豆子會種在你的農場，可以提供你一些額外的營養來彌補對肉類養份的缺乏。

You'd need to use water for a number of different things inside and remember, it isn't an infinite resource, especially in a biodome.

在裡頭有一些東西需要澆水，但記得，水並不是無限的資源，特別在生態館裡。

When it comes to drinking water, it seems like the best option would be to collect rain water and purify it.

至於飲用水的部分，最好的選項大概就是收集雨水，並淨化它。

You'd also want to recycle the water from sinks and shower drains and use it for watering plants and even filling toilets.

你可能會想要從水槽或淋浴間的排水設備中回收水資源，並用來灌溉植物或是廁所使用。

An artificial river inside your bubble could be home to phytoplankton which would contribute significant amounts of oxygen to your atmosphere.

在你的泡泡中有一個人工河道，裡面會有浮游植物可以為你的大氣提供一些氧氣。

In addition to the phytoplankton, a forest full of plants would release breathable oxygen thanks to photosynthesis!

除了浮游植物外，有個種滿植物的森林會釋放出可呼吸的氧氣，感謝光合作用！

Scientists have learned a lot from past biosphere experiments, like some kinds of building materials, like concrete, inhibit oxygen production so you'd want to avoid those.

科學家從過去的生物圈實驗中學到教訓，有些建材會抑制氧氣的產品，像混凝土，所以你會想要避免使用它們。

Air purifying plants, like spider plants and English ivy, and medicinal plants, like echinacea and peppermint, in this forest would help keep everyone inside breathing and healthy.

空氣淨化植物，像吊蘭、常春藤，還有醫藥用植物，像紫錐花跟薄荷，這些植物有助裡面每個人呼吸及保持健康。

Being truly self-sufficient means generating your own energy and using renewable resources.

要真正自給自足意味著要自己產出能量，並使用可再生資源。

Solar panels lining the outside of your bubble would collect energy to power all electronics inside.

太陽能板會排列在泡泡外頭，用來收集能量，提供裡面所有電器用電。

And you could even add a mini hydropower turbine to that indoor running river to generate even more energy!

你也可以在裡面的水道中加個小型水力發電渦輪，用來產生更多能量！

You'd also want some kind of composting system to allow you to recycle human waste and use as fertilizer.

你也會想要有個堆肥處理系統，讓你可以回收人體廢棄物並拿來當肥料。

Which may sound gross, but you've gotta make sure those plants are taken care of, too!

聽起來可能有點噁心，但你需要確定這些植物也有好好的被照顧！

Upkeep on this biodome would take a lot of work, so plan to bring, like, 10 people.

維持這個生態館是個大工程，所以要計畫中招募大約 10 個人。

Each person would have their own job, like farming or resource analytics.

每個人都有自己的工作，像耕種或資源分析。

There are also a lot of mental and physical benefits to having people around.

有一些人在身邊也對身體與心理有益。

Being disconnected from society has been linked to higher mortality and greater incidences of stress, so you'd be happier and healthier with other people inside.

跟社會脫節會導致較高的死亡率與更大的壓力，所以在裡面有人陪伴會比較開心也比較健康。

In the last 40 years, scientists have tested out a few biodome experiments.

最近 40 年來，科學家嘗試了好幾個生態館實驗。

Perhaps the most well-known was Biosphere 2 in Arizona that housed 8 scientists in the early 1990s.

也許最有名的就是亞利桑那州的生物圈二號實驗，在西元 1990 年代裡面住了 8 個科學家。

Its ultimate demise was due to poor oxygen generation techniques.

它最終因為氧氣生產技術不佳而失敗。

So, after 2 years, the experiment was stopped, but a lot was learned.

所以，2 年後這個實驗中止了，但還是學到了很多東西，

In the future, builders can take into account what went wrong with previous biodomes to create efficient, safe, oxygen-rich bubbles to live in.

未來，建造者可以考慮先前生態館失敗的原因，建造一個更有效率、安全、氧氣充分的泡泡來住。

All right. So let's say you're now stuck in this biodome.

好，假設你現在住在生態館中。

What is one thing you'd want to bring with you?

你會想要帶什麼進生態館與你生活？

Let us know in the comments.

在留言區留下你的想法讓我們知道吧！

Enjoyed this episode? Then check out this video we did on 'What it would take to live underwater?'

喜歡這個節目嗎？ 那就觀看我們關於「在水下生活需要什麼？」的影片吧。

We'd probably need to have gills like a fish, however, even the primary source of oxygen that fish get is not from form the oxygen in the H2O, but from the microscopic bubbles of dissolved oxygen in the water.

我們可能需要像魚一樣有腮，但是，魚類獲得主要氧氣的來源也不是來自水中的氧氣，而是來自水中溶解氧的微小氣泡。

As always, my name is Blocho, this has been Life Noggin, don't forget to keep on thinking.

一如往常，我的名字是 Blocko，這是 Life Noggin，別忘了保持思考。