Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hey! I had watched an instagram reel of a guy making a self-sustaining terrarium earlier and it had me wondering if it was possible to make a larger model like that but meant to observe if new life forms could be created. By that, I mean is it possible to make a “terrarium” somehow modeling the same conditions as there were billions of years ago; like with mini oceans, bacteria, other microorganisms essential to life, and an atmosphere containing the same important elements that came together to help form life on earth? I tried searching on google to see if there have been any experiments done like what I’m imagining but I’m thinking it’s too broad of an idea for anyone to be able to carry out.

Hello emimi,
Making a self-sustaining terrarium that can model the formation of life is a fascinating idea! I found a youtube channel that focuses on creating small self-sustaining ecosystems, one of which has lasted for 7 years: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0XNss ... 4vVgXm9NtQ.

On a large scale, Biosphere 2 was a research facility that wanted to replicate Earth's ecosystem. It featured a rainforest, a savanna, a desert, and a gigantic ocean, spanning almost 3 acres. It was more focused on seeing if life could be sustained in a contained environment and possibly paving the future for colonies on Mars. However, the experiment, which ran in the 1990s, was a failure, with oxygen levels decreasing rapidly and many other issues. It is still used today to study the impact of climate change. You can read more about it here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/arti ... -research/, https://biosphere2.org/.

Your idea is closer to the Miller-Urey experiment, which attempted to replicate the conditions of Earth from billions of years ago to see if organic molecules could be formed abiogenetically (not produced by living organisms). It was successful, and its results are used as evidence to support hypotheses about the origins of life. You can read more about it here: https://www.britannica.com/science/Mill ... experiment

While Biosphere 2 is a large example of a terrarium that could sustain life, the Miller-Urey experiment shows how organic molecules could be formed. However, a terrarium that could showcase how life formed from microorganisms would be a challenge to create. A major issue would be how to replicate Earth's conditions and isolate the organisms that were around during that time period. Furthermore, time would be a huge issue as life took millions of years to form on Earth. Even the Miller-Urey experiment took days to complete, and it only produced amino acids, so forming new life forms would take much longer. Still, this is an exciting concept and could be possible in the future with better technology and a deeper understanding of how life formed. Hope this helps!

That's a fascinating idea! I've dabbled in terrariums myself, but never on that scale. Could you realistically recreate primordial Earth conditions in a controlled environment? I think it's incredibly challenging, but potentially possible with precise atmospheric control and the right mix of elements and microorganisms. My basic terrariums struggled with mold, imagine the complexity of simulating abiogenesis!