Scientists have long turned to oxygen when looking for signs of life beyond Earth. This gas maintains respiration and allows animals and plants to flourish. Now, researchers suggest that oxygen could also indicate cutting-edge technology.
If an exoplanet’s atmosphere contains enough oxygen, it can not only support organisms, but also help them start fires, build structures, and make machines.
A study in Natural astronomy presents this point of view, emphasizing the value of oxygen as more than just a biological sign.
Oxygen, civilization and technology
The leaders of this research are Adam FrankHelen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester, and Amédée Balbiassociate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.
With their team, they sought to determine whether oxygen was a key factor in allowing extraterrestrial civilizations to emerge and thrive through the development of technology.
“We are ready to find signatures of life on alien worlds,” says Frank. “But how do (oxygen) conditions on a planet tell us about the possibilities for intelligent, technology-producing life?”
This question motivates efforts to examine the role of oxygen beyond respiration and metabolism, particularly in relation to large-scale industrial activities.
Why oxygen is important to civilizations
Photosynthesis on Earth accounts for most of our oxygen on our planet, thanks to the countless organisms that use sunlight to make food.
Because this process produces a large amount of oxygen, it has been considered a biosignature. A planet with significant oxygen levels suggests that life might be present, but Frank and Balbi argue that oxygen also has a second function.
“In our newspaperwe are exploring whether an atmospheric composition would be compatible with the presence of advanced technology,” explains Balbi. “We found that the atmospheric requirements can be quite stringent.”
The link with technology comes from open burning. Smelting metals, cooking food, and powering engines all rely on oxygen.
Any alien civilization that forges metals would need a certain percentage of oxygen in its air to reliably sustain fires. This percentage, based on Earth history, appears to be about 18 percent.
The fire and the 18% threshold
“You might be able to get biology – you might even be able to get intelligent creatures – in a world that has no oxygen,” Frank says, “but without a ready source of fire on the job, you are never going to develop to a higher level of technology because higher technology requires fuel and smelting.
It draws attention to the role of fire in the formation of tools, infrastructure and energy production. Metalworking, for example, requires maintaining flames hot enough to melt ore and make refined structures.
Frank and Balbi call this requirement an “oxygen bottleneck.” A planet can support life forms of all kinds, but remain stranded without the combustion necessary for industrial advances.
“The presence of high levels of oxygen in the atmosphere is like a bottleneck that must be overcome to have a technological species,” Frank explains.
“You can make everything else work out, but if you don’t have oxygen in the atmosphereyou will not have a technological species.
Oxygen + technology creates “technosignatures”
Frank thinks exoplanets with oxygen levels at or above 18% should be at the top of our search list.
“Targeting planets with high oxygen levels should be a priority, as the presence or absence of high oxygen levels in the atmosphere of exoplanets could be a major clue to finding potential technosignatures,” says Frank.
Planets that exceed this level may have the capacity to host factories, infrastructure, or communications networks.
Balbi notes that it will be difficult to interpret any possible signs of intelligent life.
“The implications of discovering intelligent technological life on another planet would be enormous,” adds Balbi. “Therefore, we must be extremely careful in interpreting possible detections.
Their study suggests that astronomers should be skeptical of potential technosignatures from a planet with an insufficient number of signatures. atmospheric oxygen.
Technosphere vs biotechnosphere
Frank and Balbi’s view also covers the idea of a technosphere, which is the collective product of an advanced civilization.
Factories, vehicles, and power grids all fall under this label. They depend on the resources provided by the planet’s biosphere but go beyond purely natural processes.
Burning fuels outdoors has been at the heart of every great industrial leap, from steel forging to electricity generation.
When these technologies reach a global scale, they form a biotechnosphere. This term applies to the interaction of living systems and technology – essentially how organisms and machines coexist.
On Earth, this includes everything from smartphones to farms, all operating side by side. A well-established biotechnosphere could produce clear signals in the atmosphere: waste gases, unusual heat patternsOr chemicals not normally found in nature.
Balancing machines and ecosystems
History shows that as technology develops, it can sometimes damage or change the environment. Factories could release pollutants into the air, while deforestation removes habitats that produce oxygen.
Yet there is a steady trend toward cleaner energy and more efficient use of resources. If an extraterrestrial civilization follows a similar path, we might detect some byproducts in the form of greenhouse gas Or artificial molecules.
Although the focus is on oxygen, other factors also matter, such as temperature and access to metals or fuels. A planet may need stable conditions for life to progress to the point where industry becomes possible.
That said, Frank and Balbi’s findings highlight how oxygen stands out among these factors because it directly enables combustion processes.
Fire and Progress in Earth’s Past
The development of the Earth through technological advancement provides insight into the vital importance of oxygen to technical achievements.
Once our atmosphere had had enough, humans learned to manipulate fire for cooking and make more resistant materials.
From simple blacksmithing to modern manufacturing, each stage of growth involved open-air combustion.
“Everything else can work out, but if there is no oxygen in the atmosphere, there will be no technological species,” Frank explains.
This idea highlights how a single factor – oxygen – can open or close the door to industrial progress, thereby changing a the whole future path of the planet.
Oxygen, technology and next steps
Observatories currently under construction could soon collect detailed data on the atmospheres of exoplanets. Detecting high oxygen could mark a world favorable to advanced living organisms.
The next task is to look for evidence of industry or technology, sometimes called technosignatures. These can take the form of chemical emissions, radio signalsor specific spectral lines.
If these two checks – oxygen above 18% and evidence of artificial activity – both yield results, we will have a strong indication that we share the universe with another technological civilization.
This reality could reshape how we view ourselves and our place among the stars.
Why is all this important?
Understanding the importance of atmospheric oxygen can also inspire reflection on our planet. Human industries highly dependent on combustionfrom running cars to powering factories. This has changed the Earth’s ecosystems.
As we learn more about how oxygen in the atmosphere enables or limits technology, we may gain new ideas about how to manage our own balance between growth and growth. environmental health.
Ultimately, Frank and Balbi’s argument shows that oxygen can do much more than keep living cells alive. This could be the clearest sign of a planet’s capacity to support the technologies that shape modern societies.
By recognizing the 18% threshold, scientists can refine their search for advanced life and possibly get closer to answering the age-old question: Are we alone, or is someone else using fire to reshape his world?
The full study was published in the journal Natural astronomy.
—–
Do you like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content and the latest updates.
Consult us on EarthSnapa free application presented by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.
—–