NationStates Jolt Archive

What affect, if any, do you think this technology will have on the world of our future?

http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/SpaceSettlement/teacher/lessons/contributed/thomas/hydroponics/hydroponics.html

Great for growing weed I understand.

Stoner astronauts....hmmm....I think I'll give that miss ;)

Aeroponics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroponics) > Hydroponics. *nod*

http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/SpaceSettlement/teacher/lessons/contributed/thomas/hydroponics/hydroponics.html

should I be worried that a department that claims to grow bigger plants has a giant crushing the Earth as its logo?

...wait, wasn't Hydroponic Farms one of the first MOO technologies?

Mrrshans, we come in peace! (and in hope of female toplessness...)

Our local grocery chain sells hydroponic tomatoes in the winter. Much better taste and about the same price as hot house tomatoes.

Well, it's the only way to grow plants out there in space I guess ...

I suspect that large scale hydroponics is going to be the way of making plant-based food for a large proportion of the population of our planet. Between Global Warming, Desertification, Saltification, and plain soil wear, we're going to need something to replace traditional farming in the near future.

I forget where I saw it but I read something about this being part of a tall building within a metropolis. A great way to save space, since you can build up, time, since you can ship to the stores same day and it would be extremely fresh. As it would be in a controlled environment, it wouldn't need pesticides; it could essentially be organic.

By having the ability to grow a lot of local produce, we would be able to sell this stuff cheaper than processed food and it would go a long way in encouraging people to eat better good. If fresh produce were readily available and affordable, we would be able to fight obesity.

should I be worried that a department that claims to grow bigger plants has a giant crushing the Earth as its logo?

Maybe in the "fee fi fo fum" worried fashion. And trans-atmospheric sized beanstalks. :p

I forget where I saw it but I read something about this being part of a tall building within a metropolis. A great way to save space, since you can build up, time, since you can ship to the stores same day and it would be extremely fresh. As it would be in a controlled environment, it wouldn't need pesticides; it could essentially be organic.

By having the ability to grow a lot of local produce, we would be able to sell this stuff cheaper than processed food and it would go a long way in encouraging people to eat better good. If fresh produce were readily available and affordable, we would be able to fight obesity.

I think I saw at thing about that on PBS, they had a skyscraper that was supposed to do dual purpose in a city growing produce and....something else, I don't remember.....it was supposed to be being built in 2010.

Great for growing weed I understand.

Stoner astronauts....hmmm....I think I'll give that miss ;)

well, the aeroponic farming method was developed by a stoner.

Aeroponics for space & Earth

In 1998, Stoner received NASA funding to develop a high performance aeroponic system for earth and space. Stoner demonstrated that a dry bio-mass of lettuce can be significantly increased with aeroponics. NASA made history by utilizing numerous aeroponic advancements developed by Stoner.

I forget where I saw it but I read something about this being part of a tall building within a metropolis. A great way to save space, since you can build up, time, since you can ship to the stores same day and it would be extremely fresh. As it would be in a controlled environment, it wouldn't need pesticides; it could essentially be organic.

By having the ability to grow a lot of local produce, we would be able to sell this stuff cheaper than processed food and it would go a long way in encouraging people to eat better good. If fresh produce were readily available and affordable, we would be able to fight obesity.

They're building what you describe in Las Vegas (http://www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news-las-vegas-vertical-farm-1.2b.html) and in some other places too (http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/988/1/). And an other, albeit more futuristic, plan (http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/670/1/). I really really hope this becomes popular, it could reduce greenhouse gases, pesticide use, agricultural waste and could recycle city waste etc and it looks like you've entered a science-fiction movie.

Aeroponics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroponics) > Hydroponics. *nod*

More like aerpwnics, amirite?

I suspect that large scale hydroponics is going to be the way of making plant-based food for a large proportion of the population of our planet. Between Global Warming, Desertification, Saltification, and plain soil wear, we're going to need something to replace traditional farming in the near future.

I think those last ones are just salination and erosion. And I didn't know they had started capitalizing the third. It must be a serious problem now.

Maybe in the "fee fi fo fum" worried fashion. And trans-atmospheric sized beanstalks. :p

lets hope NASA has no need for cattle :eek:

I think I saw at thing about that on PBS, they had a skyscraper that was supposed to do dual purpose in a city growing produce and....something else, I don't remember.....it was supposed to be being built in 2010.

I saw a show on this and maybe it was the same one you saw. I believe the benefits was air quality. Maybe it was the conversion of CO2 into O2. I can't remember exactly but I believe that was it.

Edit: As I read the article I found it was water as a bonus. Also the reduced carbon emissions vs traditional farming and distribution.

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/environment/f2105a914b6b3110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

Found a project with major hydroponics incorporated into the building being done in India.

http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/071018perkinswill.asp

Not much, since it requires such a vast amount of energy that it's only worth using to grow expensive crops like cannabis or whatever (which is pretty much its main use in the western world at the moment).

I think it will have more promise off-world than here on Earth; there is a truly colossal amount of pure water ice available in space perfect for use in these kinds of farms. Who knows, we may end up creating orbital farms for the purpose of producing food to supply our space presence...certainly the abundant supply of solar power would be very helpful.

Its how my weed gets grown. Greatest thing to hit agriculture since farming.

I think it will have more promise off-world than here on Earth; there is a truly colossal amount of pure water ice available in space perfect for use in these kinds of farms. Who knows, we may end up creating orbital farms for the purpose of producing food to supply our space presence...certainly the abundant supply of solar power would be very helpful.

That is most likely what will end up happening. But to do that would require a massive effort to get the first group of orbital agri-stations going. Maybe the first ones would go in orbit over Mars to supply a colony?

That is most likely what will end up happening. But to do that would require a massive effort to get the first group of orbital agri-stations going. Maybe the first ones would go in orbit over Mars to supply a colony?

That's the most probable use; it's much, much easier to produce needed materials where they are needed as opposed to having to ship them over a long, slow, and vulnerable supply chain from Earth (the technique is called bootstrapping, and is key to successful asteroid mining). They could also generate energy for use on the surface.

They could also be used for resupplying ships en route to other destinations later on (instead of having to bring a few years' worth of food on board a ship to the outer planets, you'd only have to bring a few months' worth and resupply along the way).

I saw a news report about this a couple of months ago I think - concerning the skyscraper concept of hydroponics, nice idea but as is already mentioned.. not really worth it for basic crops (yet!).

The concept will probably be used in space or as orbital facilities long before a cost-effective use on Earth... just seems a fairly sensible idea anyway for space-travelling. Becoming as independant as possible is always a bright idea for travellers - sometimes there just isn't a shop to buy things from. :]