You could fence that every 2d spent discussing humanscolonizingthe solar systemis a second not spent salvaging what we have here on Earth and is thereby a concession to nihilism , acedia , and the worst , most recreant elements of our public life . But what about living the ocean ? Same deal , I theorize , but still , it ’s playfulness to opine about — and with no Musk - figure of speech lobby for it , it somehow seems more wholesome , at least as a thought experimentation . Which is why , for this week’sGiz necessitate , we review a identification number of experts on the question of whether underwater living might ever be potential .
Gene C. Feldman
Oceanographer at the NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center
This can be divulge down into three parting — technological , motivational , and financial .
The solvent to whether we can technically live under the ocean is a definite YES , and in fact , Jacques Cousteau and a team of fellow skin-diver lived undersea in Conshelf I , II and III in the former 1960 ’s . The U.S. Navy had a like program of undersea habitat in the mid - belated 1960 ’s named Sealab , and , in 1970 , the Tektite habitat hosted the first all - distaff aquanaut team . In 1993 , the Aquarius Reef Base was deployed on the sea floor at 20 metre depth next to a abstruse coral reef and is still used to this day , including by NASA , who utilize it to simulate human space geographic expedition missions . Unlike today ’s nuclear submarines that are ego - incorporate and can remain submerged for many months , all these habitats and the few current long - continuance ones require blanket and uninterrupted support from open ship , barges , or demesne - based umbilical systems .
Illustration: Benjamin Currie/Gizmodo
Sustainability aside , the applied science challenges to ramp up large habitat or even city under the ocean are probably well within our grasp . However , the need and the significant financial support that they would require have never materialized . In contrast , the current International Space Station has cost more than $ 100 billion dollars to build up , and NASA spend $ 3 billion to $ 4 billion dollars per year to operate a facility that can support just six astronauts . For many grounds , the sea have never had that kind of sustained public or political sustenance . Perhaps the scene of ever - rising sea levels and the population atmospheric pressure will in the end provide the necessary motivation for coastal community to exchange from taste to press and hold back the rising tide to embracing it , and to lead off to intend about ways to adapt , which might one day let in cities beneath the wave .
Like out space , the undersea world is an alien place for humans to know . astonishingly , journeying into the depths of the ocean is in many ways even more challenging than voyaging into space , because of the terrific pressure that are found as you condescend into the ocean . At ocean level , the air that surrounds us constrict down on our bodies at 14.7 pounds per straightforward column inch , also known as one atmosphere . The deeper in the ocean you go , the capital the pressure that you sense . For every 33 foot ( 10.06 meter ) that you go down , the pressure level increases by one standard pressure , which means that at the deepest point in the sea ( the Mariana Trench , approximately 36,000 feet [ 11,000 metre ] ) the pressure is more than 16,000 pounds per square inch , or the eq of one somebody stress to support 50 jumbo jet . In the emptiness of space , difference in pressure between what we feel on the surface of the earth is only one ambiance . That is why , although sufficiently braced , the wall of the Lunar Excursion Module that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon were no thicker than a received soda can .
Phil Pauley
British couturier and fantast known for his work on submerged habitats
I absolutely feel it ’s the path ahead , especially give our current situation . And if we put money into it , it ’s dead possible .
You ’d need regular supply of solid food , air for life support systems , water , etc . But the key goal for any sort of human inhabitancy in an alien environment is self - sustainability . Obviously , there are vigor issues , and school solid food would be a challenge . We should , at this very moment , be developing and examination and prototyping in our sea and seas .
Shallow - profundity would be the obvious starting dot — furthering the work of Cousteau and Ian Koblick . Certainly , if we think to colonize other planets , it ’s imperative that we start developing and honing these technology here on Earth .
MySub - Biosphere projectwas consider as an extension service of the initial Biosphere . That latter task unfortunately devolve into something like a reality show , but the ideas behind it were first - rate . From my position , the only thing that can or will survive a succeeding meteor strike , nuclear state of war , or even - more - lethal globose pandemic would be a self - sustainable submersed surround which is protect from any of those extraneous violence .
Of course , there are ethical issues . People always ask me : how many people can you fit in it ? How would you determine who ’d go in ? How would it be regulated , who would be selected ? Would it be a lottery system ? The whole concept brings up more question than it answers , but it ’s still a enormously valid boulevard of inquiry for the human backwash , especially at this moment .
Fabien Cousteau
Aquanaut , ocean conservationist , and documentary filmmaker
I have been scuba dive since I was 4 . For me , the ocean is nursing home . I find more at home in the sea than I do on body politic , and for many reasons . Simply for the beauty of it ; for the “ wow ” divisor of the alien world , and for the pragmatic reason of being able to answer questions that we but do n’t have answer to .
The underwater world is much like space . So much remains to be explored ( over 95 % of it ) and the weather condition are harsh . It hire a lot of mental ruggedness and training to live underwater . It is not for everyone . In fact , astronauts prepare and live underwater before going to distance . Many frequent the underwater home ground Aquarius in Florida ; in 2014 , I spent 31 days there , as part of Mission 31 , leading a squad of six aquanauts .
Today I ’m create Proteus — basically the ISS of the Sea — with my team . It will be for a survival of visitors in the coming year and will provide us to progress our knowledge of not only life subaqueous , but also on estate . sea health is human wellness and vice - versa .
genus Proteus will be at least seven clock time the size of it of any other previous habitat in history , earmark for much longer stays and complex cogitation . With a habitat like Proteus , there will be WiFi at the bottom of the ocean , allowing us to reach millions of citizenry on land and strengthen that human - ocean connection . What it comes down to is creating ripe admittance to the underwater humanity and prepare others about it , so that we can all live a better life on land .
Susanne Menden-Deuer
Professor , Oceanography , The University of Rhode Island
Living underwater vocalize like an exciting adventure , though it may be a disconcerting theme , if done in a way that harm underwater habitats .
I do n’t think it would be hard to furbish underwater habitations . In fact at least one research facility already exists in the Florida Keys .
The key would be where on the scale of independency you ’d like to see this underwater habitat . Tethered to the Earth’s surface and supplied with resources or independent living organization ? For the latter , oxygen and drinkable pee as well as nutrient would be essential . Those could be extractable from the border H2O . If sun or artificial visible light is available , you could also turn some thing , and I can imagine ways to supply the social unit with energy ( for instance tidal activity and currents ) .
Cities would be a job of scale . be technology can stomach modest units of maybe a few XII masses . Cities make me guess house , and eating house , and transportation . Depth would be important in term of air pressure , but you could acclimatise people to higher pressure slowly , up to a tip .
In short , if we want to do it , it could be done , certainly on a small plate in shallower ( < 100 meter ) water . Whatever the size or nature of this habitation , I would hope we would approach it with a attentive , international agreement to sustainably create and manage these habitat . The oceans make life on Earth inhabitable , they provide oxygen , redistribute heat around the ball , are vital to climate and provide protein generator for many people . The oceans thus may be refugia for generation to come — it ’s best that we treat them as the precious , irreplaceable , resource they are .
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