Oxygen Is Killing You | Answers With Joe 

One of the first 'Philosoraptor' memes was: "What if oxygen is actually toxic and just takes 80-100 years to kill you?" Philosoraptor is wise.

"why do we stare in the fire?" My dad always called fire "caveman television" on camping trips. Funny to hear that there is some truth to that statement.

Pro tip: By staying underwater for an extended period of time, the atmosphere can't kill you anymore. I mean, the lack of it will, much faster, but _the atmosphere_ won't kill you.

“We are in a way, living flame. But the fire fades” - Joe, a man who secretly plays DarkSouls

goddammit Joe you're right - oxygen *is* killing me - going to give up that nasty oxygen addiction right now...

nothing makes you feel dumber than when joe says "now you've probably heard of this before" and you haven't heard of it before...

Admittedly i already know what joe is talking about before even watching the video on this one. doesn't matter though, I want to know what Joe has come to learn and witness his dread and sense of impending doom play out, priceless. Love you buddy.

Ever seen the meme about "Planet of the 'slow burning'"? It was one of those existential joke memes to explain why aliens might avoid Earth because we are all slowly burning and breathing poison like some kind of freaky demons lol

I just realized why this channel is so successful. Joe talks as if what he's talking about is common knowledge, making us feel familiar with the subject. Cyanobacteria, I know right!🤗

4:00 - Supernova is needed only to disperse oxygen - unlike elements heavier that iron, it is mainly produced by good old fusion inside stars, specifically in CNO cycle.

People bad at chemistry: "Oxygen is flammable" Me: *Slap* "NO IT'S NOT"

I'm an arborist... So I've burned unknown amounts of brush in my life. Even then im never not completely mesmerized by it. It's truly so enigmatic and provoking yet calming and comforting.

Joe you claimed all elements heavier than Hydrogen and Helium are created in supernova, that's not true. Stars can form up to Iron through fusion, anything heavier than *that* requires supernova.

Oxygen is one of the most electronegative and reactive elements out there. Its like evolving to thrive in fluorine or something. Kinda crazy when you think about it like that.

So poetic and then starts talking about “bacteria farts”

“It’s probably a big mistake.” Did Joe just reference Douglas Adams? Love me some Hitchiker’s Guide.

You can heal 5 times more quickly in a hyperbaric chamber at 100% oxygen and 3x atmospheric pressure.

Your hosting skills were always good, but it's been so fun to watch them evolve to where they are now. Your scripts are fluid, your jokes land most of the time, your hosting personality is developing beautifully, and you're really hitting your stride.

Holy crap haha I was second camera on Nigel Blows Stuff up. Happy to see it having a second life on Curiosity

Im impressed the way you explained resperation was very concise as a trainee nurse I can say yoy nailed it with more clarity than my lectures

Human aging is a heck of a lot more complicated. In fact, they have found that higher pressure oxygen in a hyperbaric chamber can extend telomeres in the blood, likely extending life. Quantum tunneling as a result of the heat producing bonds that otherwise are not energy favorable is a major source of aging (by probability, several photons of heat energy concentrate in a localized area providing the energy for the damaging reaction which is more common at higher body temperature). This is why most of the organisms that outlive us are colder than we are. We can't just choose to be cold, and live longer, though. We have enzymes that are required for even the most basic cellular operations, such as the reactions in mitochondria that produce ATP. Those other organisms have different enzymes. So they can endure internal temperatures that would kill us. And while this is a major form of aging, it is just one of several. We accumulate a protein called Glucosepane. It is a lysine-arginine protein cross-linking product and advanced glycation end product (AGE) derived from D-glucose. This makes a mess of collagen in our bodies over time. The other AGEs, as long as we produce and ingest relatively small amounts (by avoiding things cooked at high temperature, whipped, churned, ground or otherwise processed at high speed by machine, or fermented, and by having ample vitamins) can be processed by the liver (as long as the liver stays healthy) and expelled by the body. This Glucosepane crap could probably kill you just by itself, by stiffening tissue, so much that it no longer functions. Then there are toxins that accumulate in your blood. That can be removed by plasmaphereses. But who does that just to clean their blood? Then there are changes to molecules that connect to our DNA. This methylation aging we have no way to reverse without killing you...yet. And if we could turn back that clock, how would we do it uniformly? What happens when you have cells that all think they are different ages? The ends of chromosomes shorten with every cellular division. When the chromosome ends (telomeres) reach the end, the cells can no longer divide, but more than that, they can become nasty. They can start to gorge themselves eating other cells, and spewing chemicals that kills and harms other cells. These senescent cells also accumulate as more and more cells run into their division limit (Hayflick limit). There are things we can do to reduce the number of these things like periodic fasting or near fasting, and taking senolytics like quercetin and fisetin periodically, but it is almost certainly a loosing battle. Mitochondria can also go bad making a mess and killing cells accelerating divisions to replace those damaged cells, which makes more cells run into that division limit. Though, it is possible to refresh your mitochondria by doing very unpleasant HIIT (high intensity interval training) exercise very regularly. And while hyperbaric oxygen and a few molecules we have found can extend telomeres...that is probably limited to the immune system and the blood. Anything further reaching, probably would require genetic modification.

Dude I fucking love this channel. Some of you guys deserve to be nominated in some of these yearly awards shows. Like, your decapitation video; That should receive an award lol. Fuckin' great work Joe, great work.

You nailed the location of "That video" this time. Been waiting for that to happen. nice.

Nice no-nonsense description of the process. Nicely done.

For years when someone asked how I was doing I would answer "Still breathing, haven't managed to kick that nasty oxygen habit yet!" This video taught me just how scientifically correct that statement was. Also, this was the best explanation of "free radicals" and anti-oxidants. I wanted Chemistry in high school science but was placed in Anatomy which was no where as interesting to me...

Love, Love, Love ....your content & sense of humor ✨ 💖🙏💕

“I’m not talking about that immanent feeling of doom… (relatable smirk of disparaging truth) although it’s there.” GOLD.

I found this channel a week or two ago and I just keep binging it, watching for hours at a time. I love every video and I think I found my crack.

For one not paying attention in chemistry classes, you've got it right and mostly complete. The only thing I'd like to add is that oxygen molecule is free radical too.

I love your channel. Keep up the good work. It is also interesting in an "Oxygen is killing you" video to mention Oxygen Toxicity in Scuba Diving. This is where high pressure causes oxygen to be even more toxic. That and Nitrogen Narcosis ends up requiring a third gas, helium, to help keep from dying. See trimix diving and partial-pressures-of-oxygen for details.

I love his simple way of explaining, adding a joke or two and talking on a normal volume (no shouting like some). Thank Joe! Keep it up 👍 👏👏

Man, all the drawing I do and I can’t get good at it either! I so felt you when you said that. Luv ur show. Thanks Joe and google.

Lots of oxygen: Will kill me in about 80 years. No oxygen: Will kill me in about 80 seconds.

I feel you on the drawing in chemistry class instead of paying attention. I made a flip book out of an entire book of post it notes instead of paying attention. Still passed somehow, and I still have the flip book, so thats something

Great stuff, Joe. You're inspiration to my own meagre, fledgling channel.

All I can say is don't stop doing what you do Joe. It's a lot of work to digest years of research but your helping soo many people be more aware. (the emoji looks like am flipping you off but am not LOL! it's a thumbs up.)

There is actually a fourth requirement for fire: Pressure.

I loved all the random jokes, mentions of existential dread, spontaneous "woo woo", and how the cyanobacteria made the worst mistake bringing about humans. Love your sense of humor

WOW that intro is already amazing. Well done!

Thank you for reading my mind. This is the exact video I was looking for. Bless your soul if we have one

"They can hold our attention as well as any TV show"??? Well not the ones with the 24/7 fireplace! :'D

Ren & Stimpy made me aware of the effect of oxygen, albeit viewed from a somewhat different angle, haha, but it did start making me think about oxygen in general. It's really just a bad joke, but here goes: Muddy Mudskipper to Stimpy: "Ever breathe oxygen son?" Stimpy: *_inhales to respond_* Muddy: "Good, don't start! Me? I'm hooked! Get it?" (because he's a fish, although he's a lungfish..) Stimpy: *_inhales another time to respond_* Muddy: "Shut up!"

When you said "let's start with what we already know..." and that catchy drum and bass riff started, it was just like when I have to think about stuff I already know about. Do do do do do, I already know this, I don't have to learn right now, do do do do do

Always a good show Joe!!

My chemistry professor loved to tell this joke, "How can you tell oxygen is a trollop? It'll bond with anything."

The humans who got bored watching the fire and wandered off... ...got eaten by lions, tigers and bears. Evolution in action.

This video reminded me of my research on the fork-head transcription factors, which I wrote my senior thesis for my BS in biology on. I was looking into genes that promote longevity of life. Essentially the fork-head transcription factors are proteins which are active when your body is in a basal state and they function in cleaning out free radicals and fix denatured proteins. I would suggest looking into it, might give you a great video topic.

0:32 - 0:39 ... I'd love to know where that particular stock video of burning wood can be found! So calming, yet invigorating at the same time. Perfect Zen viewing on a digital display.

can't wait for all the people watching to start breathing manually because of this video

“Ain’t no air in space” … “There’s an Air in Space Museum.”

Your background reminds me of an eye spy book ! Love it

Just learned about this in Biology. I didn't understand any of it until this video. Thanks joe

My buddy had an oxygen bottle for welding with an advisory sticker on it warning of the increased risk of cancer from inhaling it. It's a good thing us humans aren't dependant on oxygen when going about our daily lives!

Fascinating video! Learning about how the body uses Oxygen, and it's journey after we breath it in, is all the more remarkable when you think how constant that process needs to be. If it stops for even a matter of minutes our human body and all that we are will break beyond repair. Oxygen is also one of the best examples of how brilliantly messy evolution can be. The very thing that's vital to our lives can also be the thing that kills us...so long as it mostly takes its time doing so.

Like always, you made it interesting.

The burger closer was nothing short of brilliant. Timing - perfection

“A light that burns twice as bright burns half as long” - Dr. Eldon Tyrell

Since you're a Texas native I'd love to see you get into the psychology of the maniacs passing Draconian laws successfully in 2021.

Hey Joe! Love your work!! Can you do a video on "Popular ways one can manage their existential dread without therapy."

Damn Joe. This episode is on a "Vsauce, Michael here" kind of level how it brings us back and fourth teaching so much different things that have with eachother to do :D Much love!

Joe, I wanted to be a smart fella. But society made me a fart smella.

This introduction was really nice!

I love how you explained the role of oxidizers. Fire in all its forms is truly fascinating. However, in the interest of being pedantic, because everyone loves pedants, smoke is actually the product of incomplete combustion, which means, simplistically, that there is more fuel than the oxygen required for complete combustion at that temperature. In other words, smoke is fuel, and combustible in a similar manner to propane or natural gas. It's why if you come on a building that you believe is on fire and a room appears to be filled with smoke when you look through the windows, you NEVER break that window, because the only thing missing from that room being a giant inferno is more oxygen. In contrast, if you ever look into "rocket" stoves that some permies use, they have to be super, super careful about carbon monoxide because the more complete combustion produces no visible smoke. In other words, you could have a chimney leak with a normal fireplace and likely catch it due to the smoky room, but with a rocket stove, you just die from the CO if you don't have a detector.

Best way to start the week. Thanks Joe

Never realized. Thanks, Joe!

Great start :)

I love you Joe, you’ve taught me a lot, like sure your not a scientist store historian or crime expert but you hand us Knowledge and give us things to look at to help us not only widen our minds and intellect view, but help us grow and not be in a little bubble and toss out things we don’t like. Thank you Joe

Good intro, Joe. I hope you do more cool intros like that in the future.

That was your best open Joe!

My chemistry teacher in engineering school described fire as rapid oxidation that is so fast it produces enough heat to create plasma.

My other favorite RU-vidrs , SECURETEAM and Missing 411/ Cansm Missing Project. You had a show on addiction once. Great show. The sub skit was great. Every skit you do is always funny .

5:05-5:11 Thank your! I have ask myself these questions a lot and am too lazy to do the required research to fully understand why

The intro was great!!!

I want to suggest few corrections: 1. You talk about combustion and oxidation. Many elements can accept electrons and act as oxidizers. to name a few: Nitrogen, Chlorine, Sulfur. combustion is the name for oxidative reaction specifically with Oxygen. 2. Iron Oxide is called this way not because it was oxidized (participate in a reaction in which other element oxidized it). The naming system (nomenclature) for simple salts is: [name of the cation element = Metal] [name of the anion element = Nonmetal]-ide. just like Sodium Chloride. 3. Cells create free radical in some of the cell metabolite. These radical are often use to desirables reaction. This happens even without any negative influence. The radicals are often Oxygenic molecules, but this is not mandatory. 4. If we talk about Oxygen and combustion so much, I would talk about the reason all this Oxygen doesn't burn everything. Oxygen (O2) is extremely reactive molecule, but it's electron configuration makes it more difficult to react with other molecules. I don't remember exactly why this happens, but it has to do with the spins of the two reactive electrons of the molecule. In it's triplet (stable) state the two electrons have the same spin. In the singlet (exited) state the electrons have opposite spins. I know that's a lot, but please don't despair. Chemistry is beautiful and I love seeing videos related to chemistry. Keep up the good work :)

Nick Lane has written some brilliant books on oxygen and the chemiosmotic model, which are essential reading if you'd like to find out more about how most of life on Earth generate their energy. Great video

One of your best intros yet. Bravo.

Thank you Prometheus we appreciate what you went through for us.

admittedly, this video makes me scared to breathe..but nonetheless it's awesome! my friend recommended me to you joe, and now i cant stop watching!

Love the science stuff, but Joe's weird & history topics are great.

I just had this conversation with my wife a couple of months ago. Most people just don't think about oxidization nor it's effects enough.

I'm already subbed but damn, I just realized that "the future of war," "heavy industry in space," "6 historical figures/not existing," etc is the perfect blend of scatterbrained nerd shit that I feed off of, lol. I love that it's part standard fare science-y channel, but also a dip into some appreciative history. Having fun with some of the latest vids! I think the high sub count yet very modest feel is welcoming. Keep that flavor! And make the next one WEIRD. Cheers :)

super educational funny...thank you

Thx for reminding me, Joe.

I like seeing Joe staring into the abyss while contemplating about wise oxygen

i love the intro. great sense of humor

Nigels docs are awesome, he's the man for waking up those that are blind to the facts. Cool to hear the shout out. 🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿

Thanks Joe. I needed the nap.

Fun fact: During the great Oxidation Event, the new oxygen emitting bacteria not only killed off the anaerobic ones, but themselves in several rounds of great die offs until they developed sufficient resistance to oxygen. There are several great videos on the tubez that delve more in depth, awesome watch. But a great overview video, a lot of stuff to pack into 15 minutes.

If you like staring into fire, may I suggest any of the current live streams of erupting volcanoes? Canary Islands right now are like a giant fourth of July fountain firework that doesn't stop. I've lost hours staring at it (and the previous eruption in Iceland). Would love to see you do a video on Volcanoes!

Thank you Joe! Regarding your comments about how O2 is used in the digestion of food. How do you think this insight links to fasting diets? After all the body is converted to using Ketones in the height od a fasting period. Does this still use Oxygen in this process? I believe you've done a video on fasting before, but would appreciate your insights looking at the subject from this perspective. Love your work. :)

Gonna need to watch that one again. THANKS JOE! Biochemistry, not my field. It is now, THANKS JOE!

Couple things, Fire triangle is out. It's the fire tetrahedron now, with fuel, heat, oxygen and a chemical chain reaction. This is to cover things like autoignition, lower explosive limits, etc. The production of ATP in the mitochondria is a process called the ETC (Electron Transport Chain) or "Kreb's Cycle". This process describes cellular respiration, both aerobic and anaerobic respiration (with or without oxygen, respectively.) This includes a point during the process called glycolysis, which cleaves 2 carbons from glucose chains, resulting in a chain of 2, and four carbons. With oxygen present, this ends up producing pyruvate, and without oxygen: lactate (this is why running hurts if you're out of shape. You're body isn't good enough at using the amount of oxygen you're giving your cells, and it can't pyruvate effectively, thus less ATP, more lactate, and your muscles start to burn.).

Ya.... the oxidative stress theory of aging or the free radical theory of aging has kinda been disproved, sort of. I say kinda and sort of because it does play a role, and is a contributing mechanism, but "observed correlations between ROS damage and aging are not necessarily indicative of the causal involvement of ROS in the aging process but are more likely due to their modulating signal transduction pathways that are part of cellular responses to the aging process." to quote Wikipedia. Basically, the short version is that, under ideal conditions, our bodies have developed the ability to mitigate any and all damage from ROS. When functioning properly, our bodies are so good at managing oxygen that we've come to depend on ROS for a number of biological processes including proper mitochondrial function and the use of ROS as chemical weapons by our immune system. The reason oxidative damage is so well correlated with aging is because the "aging process" damages the systems that repair and prevent ROS damage. The break down of these systems both allows oxidative damage to accumulate, and increases the rate of further damage in a sort of feedback loop. So yes, it pays a role, but it acts as more of an indicator and modulator rather than a primary cause. In theory, if you could prevent or repair the cellular damage to the ROS management systems, then you could go on indefinitely without accumulating any ROS related cellular damage. So its not really the oxygen that's killing you so much as it becomes one of many factors as your body begins to experience age related decompensation away from homeostasis, and rather than oxidative damage, the growing consensus is that this is driven primarily by epigenetic alterations which interfere with protein synthesis. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3901353/ www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2020.575645/full www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-free-radical-theory-of-aging-dead/ www.lecturio.com/magazine/aging-epigenetic-alterations-and-loss-of-proteostasis/ www.hindawi.com/journals/sci/2020/1047896/

And there's nothing better than having breakfast while watching Joe's video and relax until you go to work

Thanks!

Wow... you just cheered me up no end. Thanks. Lol

6:10 you're right except where you brought in electronegativity, which doesn't really has to do anything with redoxy reactions (it has to do with determining qualities of a material, like how it crystalizes, and it can also give you a (very) rough estimate of the freezing and boiling point of a material). Electronegativity is a measure of how much an atom *inside* a molecule can attract electrons. Especially the ones in between the two atoms, forming the bonds. All atoms are "electronegative", it's more like a scale going from Francium(0.7) to Flourine(4.0) Aaaaalso fire is more like the stuff that got ionised because it was so hot, basicly plasma. Combustion can happen without a flame. (take ember as an example) Also also glucose is used as an energy source to stich a phophate group to the end of ADP, adenosine diphosphate. The energy gained from burning 1 glucose molecule can turn around 32-36 ADP molecules (+the phosphate groups) into the same amount of ATP molecules, but I'm just a highschooler so take this with a grain of salt, cus I'm not a scientist, nor a textbook.

1:22 i totally tought you were about to say social media kills you slowly when the icons appeared, lol, I really thought it.

Oh, Hello Darkness. Nice to see you again. So nice of you to return these crisis’ to my mind.

Joe. Good job getting back to the roots. I'll pay more attention to u.