It’s nothing to lose sleep over—really, I promise—but Earth’s atmosphere is leaking oxygen. Atmospheric oxygen levels have dropped by 0.7 percent over the past 800,000 years, and while scientists aren’t sure why, they’re rather excited about it.
Buried inside ancient grains of rock salt, a team of geologists has discovered traces of a breathable, animal-friendly atmosphere. If confirmed, the finding will push back the rise of oxygen on Earth hundreds of millions of years, raising new questions about the evolution of complex life both here and beyond our solar…
“I don’t want to die.”That’s what Destin from Smarter Every Day says as his oxygen level drops dangerously low and yet he’s completely unable to put his oxygen mask back on to save himself because his brain isn’t functioning properly.
New findings from NASA’s Curiosity Rover provide evidence that significant amounts of oxygen once permeated the atmosphere of ancient Mars. The Red Planet, it would seem, was more Earth-like than we thought.
A team of researchers just confirmed the presence of oxygen in a galaxy 13.1 billion light years away—the furthest oxygen has ever been detected. Their findings suggest that this may have been the first oxygen to form in the early universe.
The Hubble Telescope captured images of these galaxies surrounded by glowing green clouds. They’re remnants of major astronomical events, but the amazing thing is what’s lighting them up.
It's generally agreed that life on this planet would not be possible if it weren't for microbes. In a fascinating thought experiment, a pair of biologists scrutinized this assumption to find out. As their paper makes clear, a microbe-free world would be a strange place, indeed.
A team of scientists in Denmark just invented a crystalline material that can absorb oxygen with astounding efficiency. How astounding? Well, a single spoonful of the stuff can suck all of the oxygen out of a room. The best part is that it can release it again with just a little bit of heat. Say goodbye to bulky…
One of the major things that keep us from colonizing space is oxygen. Other planets don't have that much of it, and we really need it. But when did we first learn exactly what it took to keep us breathing?
What's the difference between a hydrogen explosion and an oxygen explosion? Quite a lot. Take a look at this succession of exploded balloons, and compare the booms.
Who knew such extraordinary altitudes could be found, hidden inside the towers of Manhattan's Flatiron District? But, behind the nondescript door of a 5th-floor office on 21st Street, heights as great as the Himalayas are waiting to be scaled. Gizmodo took a deep breath and visited the atmospheric wizardry of Hypoxico…
Another day, another cool-looking chemistry experiment. This time around, the chemists involved are using a little-known property of oxygen to build an oxygen bridge between two magnets.
So there's Windex, but if that's feeling too cleaning product-y for you, be aware that you can also clean glass with pure oxygen plasma. Sure.
About 2.3 billion years ago, Earth underwent what is known as the Great Oxidation Event, as early lifeforms photosynthesized enough oxygen that the gas took hold as a dominant part of our atmosphere. This massive shift allowed for the evolution of pretty much all complex life... but its roots go back far earlier than…
You've seen plenty of movies and TV shows where a person hyperventilates and is given a paper bag to breathe into. Can wood pulp actually help with hyperventilation? And why do so many doctors want the practice to stop?
All the cool kids know that playing with fire is totally awesome, but there's only so much you can accomplish with the tools available to your everyday pyromaniac. Scientists can have a bit more fun, and this slow motion video of liquid oxygen tossing around a chunk of flaming charcoal is a great chance to live…
Sure, our supervillains are more of the geopolitical type, but it's inevitable that some day a mad scientist will come along with an oxygen-stealing ray. And when he does, as this Buzzfeed video—based on an imaginative Quora thread—points out, we're all in a whole lotta trouble.
Big sci-fi TV news: Alfonso Cuarón's Believe, J.J. Abrams' new Fringe-esque cop drama and two other new sexy science fiction series have been given the greenlight. From high concept to teen drama, there are four new TV series steeped in sci-fi that could be airing in your homes next year. Here's a run down on what we…
This may seem like something out of a science fiction movie: researchers have designed microparticles that can be injected directly into the bloodstream to quickly oxygenate your body, even if you can't breathe anymore. It's one of the best medical breakthroughs in recent years, and one that could save millions of…
If you're currently living on our pale blue dot, you should thank it for becoming inhabitable for us human folk. Specifically, you should look down and thank its mantle because scientists are saying that Earth's cooler mantle allowed it to develop oxygen. You know, that thing we breathe to live.
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