/sci/ - Science & Math

Here's the Eden Project, the same idea on a much larger scale. Each dome facet is insulated by a dual layer of efte plastic membrane with air pumped in between them, like an inflatable pillow. It's lightweight, very durable, and insulates very well against heat loss. Each dome contains a separate ecosystem; Rainforest, tropical forest, and desert. The location in northern England is pleasant for a scant few weeks in the Summer but is miserably cold and bleak for the rest of the year, which is all the better, as it demonstrates the potential for efte insulated domes to create isolated ecosystems in hostile environments, such as Mars.

Geodesic domes made from an aluminum skeleton and inflated efte 'pillow' panels would be ideal for surface enclosures. Pic related, The Eden Project; Tropical, rainforest and desert biomes recreated in frigid northern England by the use of efte insulated domes and imported plant/animal species.

Such enclosures would be good for psychological health, but because they do not shield against radiation we could not spend very much time in them per day. That's one of the big reasons it makes more sense to live underground than on the surface.

EFTE: A very strong, very lightweight transparent plastic typically used in pillow like air pockets for insulation.

Geodesic domes: mathematically the strongest structure using the least materials possible for any given volume. Typically costs around half as much as a rectilinear structure with the same volume.

The Eden Project: A geodesic cluster-dome using pillow-like EFTE air pockets for strong, lightweight insulation against the elements while still permitting sunlight through.

It's the same construction method proposed for the Houston Megadome, a geodesic EFTE dome that would enclose downtown Houston and protect the most valuable structures from the damage they regularly sustain on account of frequent violent storms. This was, incidentally, the inspiration for the dome in the Simpsons movie, although intended to keep storms out rather than contaminants in.