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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.

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