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Do Technological Civilizations Depend on Atmospheric Oxygen?

Our modern technological civilization wouldn't have been possible without open-air combustion, which can only happen when atmospheric oxygen levels reach at least 18%. A new study asks if this could be a bottleneck for developing other advanced civilizations. Without at least 18% oxygen, fires won't easily burn, so technologies like steam power and combustion engines wouldn't be possible. Earth has only reached that level of atmospheric composition in the last 500 million years.

http://arxiv.org/abs/2308.01160

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them#tic 2y ago

nostr:npub1dgc20rwct3mfd884e2240pqpzhzlz6xm7laky670vnd5um3xxkzsaj4yrt Wouldn't they have a better chance of powering up sensibly: the technologies would be constrained to experiments at first, mass production could be more challenging (more advances required) and overusing combustion just would not be a thing.

b6171cdb... 2y ago

nostr:npub1dgc20rwct3mfd884e2240pqpzhzlz6xm7laky670vnd5um3xxkzsaj4yrt

Edit: geothermal vents might kickstart a steam age underwater. Oceanic nodules similarly be seen as essential for an iron age. Sulphuric/fluorine atmosphere needed for chemical engineering.

I don't doubt life's ability to innovate in their environment