Hundreds of years in the future, the surface of the earth has become unlivable. Vacating our terrestrial settlements, our species migrates into the ocean and begins a new chapter underwater.
Could humans build neighborhoods and cityscapes on the ocean floor?
Could our species colonize the ocean with bio-domes and giant air bubbles?
If the surface of our planet can no longer sustain us,
will humans ever live underwater?
The surface area of earth is approximately 197 million square miles; however, 71% of our planet is covered in water. Around 80 percent of that water has never been explored.
Logistically, studying the ocean is similar to studying a foreign planet. We can’t breathe underwater, just like we can’t breathe is an extraterrestrial atmosphere, so we rely on specialized equipment to investigate sub-aquatic habitats.
Investigating the ocean is a constant challenge:
But for a moment, let’s think outside scientific research. During the 21st century, the population of our species could rise to astronomical heights-an, estimated 11 billion by 2090. As our population increases, our ecological footprint will follow.
The earth’s climate will become increasingly dangerous. The average global temperature will increase by several degrees. Violent storms, scorching heat waves, and infectious diseases could ravage the world’s ecosystems.
By the end of the 21st century, humans may need to escape from earth’s unlivable conditions. If anthropological damage wasn’t frightening enough, a natural disaster could also transform life of the surface of earth.
For instance, a series of towering, super-volcanic eruptions could fill the atmosphere with toxic chemicals, forcing humanity to vacate the surface of earth.
But where would we go?
To safety avoid fluctuations in the earth’s climate and toxins in the atmosphere, humans may retreat to underwater sanctuaries-entire colonies built below the ocean waves. If the surface becomes uninhabitable, the colonization of the ocean could be a necessary step for the preservation of our species:
But there’s a greater question we have yet to address.
Could humans actually live underwater?
Any ocean-based habitat must satisfy a short-list of basic human needs. A functioning settlement must guarantee the safety, survival, and comfort of its inhabitants; however, providing even the most essential human needs creates several unique challenges. In terrestrial ecosystems, humans can breathe freely, but humans rely on technology, like scuba equipment, to inhale and exhale underwater.
Like astronauts in space, we cannot survive in the ocean without a constant and reliable source of air. Before we build homes and cities on the ocean floor, we have to create a breathable environment, like a giant bubble, cycling a steady stream of breathable air.
Pressure control is another necessity inside any ocean habitat. At the surface, humans have adapted to atmospheric pressure; for every 10 meters underwater, the pressure increases by one standard atmosphere, a unit of measurement that describes the pressure we experience at sea level.
Below 20 meters, inert gases like nitrogen can trigger a condition called inert gas narcosis, which alters your central nervous system, leading to faulty judgement and hallucinations similar to the effects of an anesthetic. To avoid insert gas narcosis, many divers fill their tanks with Helix, which combines 21 percent oxygen with 79 percent helium.
Decompression sickness, also known as “the bends”, is yet another inevitable hurdle of living underwater. If a diver returns too quickly to the surface, nitrogen bubbles called air embolisms can form in their tissues and bloodstream.
The bubbles can block your major blood vessels, cause excruciating joint pain, and damage your internal organs. Thus, divers must swim to the surface very slowly-at a speed of 33 feet per minute with regular stops-so these harmful gases can escape their bodies.
Refer How role of science & technology works in our life:
https://paidforarticles.in/how-role-of-science-technology-works-in-today-s-life-657400
You must be logged in to post a comment.