this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2023
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Excess oxygen is actually harmful to humans, ~~but all the climate warnings are about losing oxygen, not nitrogen~~ edit: but when we look for habitable planets, our focus is ‘oxygen rich atmosphere’, not ‘nitrogen rich’, and in medical settings, we’re always concerned about low oxygen, not nitrogen.

Deep sea divers also use a nitrogen mix (nitrox) to stay alive and help prevent the bends, so nitrogen seems pretty important.

It seems weird that our main focus is oxygen when our main air intake is nitrogen. What am I missing?

edit: my climate example was poor and I think misleading. Added a better example instead.

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[–] DharmaCurious@startrek.website 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Now I'm imagining a planet with a helium atmosphere that's breathable for humans. Best. Episode. Of. Star Trek. Ever. I'm envisioning TOS, super serious scenes where Scotty has fallen near dead, Kirk looks to Bones for some reassurance, and in Mickey Mouses voice Bones mournfully tells him "He's dead, Jim"

[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This needs to be an episode of Lower Decks.

e: and Boimler’s voice doesn’t change.

[–] zeppo@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I think it could work? Not really sure. Probably sound enough scientifically for a 1st gen Star Trek episode.

[–] roguetrick@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It would work in the sense that you could breathe it. It would not work in the sense that the gravity of a planet that actually holds a helium atmosphere (as opposed to it flying off into space) would be uncomfortable.

[–] zeppo@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Would argon work?