Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe,
allowing us to breathe, construct materials and do a lot more than you might realize.
So, what would happen if it disappeared from the Earth for 5 seconds?
If we first look at the loss of atmospheric oxygen as in oxygen in the air,
you may not want to be traveling.
Without oxygen, the internal combustion engines found in 215 million vehicles in the US alone
would be unable to turn heat into the work required to push the piston inside.
Cars would most likely not start, and if already moving, would stop running immediately.
Considering that an estimated 100 airplanes take off or land every minute,
the loss of oxygen could also cause some early crash landings all over the world,
although airplanes already in the air could probably glide safely until oxygen returned.
But would you suffocate?
Oxygen does play a crucial role in one of the last steps of cellular respiration,
but luckily our bodies have alternative pathways that help us survive when we temporarily lack oxygen.
For example, during intense exercise, muscle cells will use up all of their oxygen
and switch to a process called lactic acid fermentation, which uses glucose to produce energy.
Cells lacking oxygen also have been shown to reprogram themselves
to prioritize and make the most necessary proteins first.
All in all, if you can hold your breath for 5 seconds,
then you'll most likely survive the atmospheric oxygen apocalypse.
But when we take the question literally as in 'What would happen if we lost the oxygen atom completely?'
obliterating it from compounds like water, quartz and ozone,
then the results become more devastating.
If we consider non-living things alone,
then nearly everything in the material world would turn into a metallic dust once oxygen is done.
This includes buildings, cars, roads, clothes, furniture and more,
as all our materials like concrete, wood, glass, stone, brick and cotton
all contain or are made up of an oxygen-based compound.
Without the oxygen bond,
many of these compounds would be left with their elements unbound and in their simplest form.
And while all your favorite stores and possessions turn to dust,
they'll be simultaneously collapsing into the center of the Earth
to be burned in a fiery oblivion.
As oxygen makes up 46% of the Earth's crust,
the ground beneath us would cease to exist.
The ocean which covers about 70% of the Earth would evaporate and become hydrogen gas,
and upon the return of oxygen 5 seconds later,
the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen would release mass amounts of heat as water is produced again.
So, the world would end all around us,
but that's OK. You probably won't be around to witness any of this as all our living cells
contain water and will, like the ocean, evaporate into space as hydrogen gas.
The rest of us would be dead dust as well.
With oxygen and hydrogen gone, we've lost 75% of our elemental makeup,
and only a pile of carbon, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and other trace elements
would be what's left of our bodies.
Without oxygen, it's safe to say you wouldn't feel so good.
Thank you guys so much for watching.
If you love to hear about apocalypse-type scenarios,
then make sure to check out our newest podcast called "Sidenote".
It's about human extinction, and whether or not the world is ending and taking humanity with it.
I'll put a link in the description, so you can listen to that.
You can find out whether we are optimistic, or whether or not we think things aren't looking so good.
Make sure you subscribe on YouTube for more weekly videos, and we'll see you next week.
See ya!