Explore Science-first Philosophy

Can humans breathe the air of other planets?

~ < 1 of audio

Author note. 

Explore voice = Exploratory style. Very punchy. Personal, and lively using “me,” “you,” “us,” and “I” freely.

I want you to feel me right there with you. We use “I” and “me” and “us” without apology. If the Explain voice is a bridge, the Explore voice is the hike we take across it. It is lively, reflective, and sometimes a bit raw. It is the sound of a shared exploration where I lead you by the hand, but we both discover the view at the same time.

This is where I get to think out loud. Not with definitions, we aren’t just looking at the facts; we are looking at how they feel and what they mean for our lives. I’m talking to you about what I’ve found and what I’m still figuring out. It is engaging because it is real, and it is reflective because it is honest.

The goal is real advice and enjoyable reading. I want to land on something you can actually use. It’s about being direct, being punchy, and making sure that by the time we reach the end of the page, we’ve both found something worth keeping.

And now the piece.

Can humans breathe the air of other planets?

It depends, of course. Ideally, an atmosphere would be 21% oxygen with no toxic gases. However, we do have some wiggle room. With the same air pressure as Earth, we can survive down to about 16% oxygen for short periods, and more than 21% is fine. While pure oxygen for long periods is detrimental, double or even triple 21% is fine. The critical insight here is to break it down by formula and pressure. While Earth’s atmosphere is 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen, it can vary so long as there are no toxic gases. For long term breathing, we’re used to 21%, and need at least 18%. However, atmospheric pressure is just as important.

For pressure, which allows us to breathe easily, the psi at sea level is 14.7, but people live at higher altitudes where the air is much thinner. Our highest populated peak is La Rinconada in Peru, where the atmosphere is 7.93 psi and they do just fine at 21% oxygen. Perhaps obvious, but a profound take away about the future is to imagine a planet with, say 5 psi, which is very low pressure for us, but the percent of oxygen was higher, say 50%, we might be able to breathe just fine. If we’re lucky enough to visit other planets, these are the types of things we’ll need to look at. Perhaps living on a planet comprised of 33% oxygen, 50% nitrogen, and 17% argon, with an air pressure of 8 to 10 psi might be a part of our future. 


That Science FAQ, 

was first published on TST 2 years ago.

The flashcard inspired by it is this.

All this is part of the broader TST project.
Tidbits make it possible to build slowly and honestly, without losing track of where an idea came from.
The goal is not to persuade quickly, but to build a stable framework where ideas can be tested honestly.

The end!

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