Beachworld Biosphere

Juniper Foo | Aug 20, 2004

Have you ever wondered how the ship gets stuffed in the bottle? The same question applies to the Beachworld Biosphere. How cool can it be that an ecosystem actually thrives within a sealed glass sphere? Created by a space station engineer and two of the original Biosphere2 crew members, the Beachworld Biosphere works along the same principles. Light and heat help the micro algae generate oxygen and food for the resident freshwater shrimp (harvested from lava rock pools in Hawaii), which in turn produce carbon dioxide and nutrients for the algae to grow. Voila! The Beachworld Biosphere claims to be good for up to five years, although the first globe introduced to the Singapore Science Centre is still alive and kicking after 11 whopping years. But what we like best about the Biosphere is that it's absolutely maintenance-free.

Price: S$236 to S$988
Availability: Sole distributor Glo-Well (SEA) at Chinatown Plaza, Singapore
Device: Self-contained miniature world
Basic specs: Available in egg shape or round, varies from 10-25cm, weighs between 0.8kg and 1kg depending on model, contains freshwater amphipod shrimp, algae and micro-algae, self-supporting ecosystem, lifespan of 3-5 years

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