What if earth lost oxygen for 5 seconds?

We would need to organize a search party.

No.

If it was just 5 seconds.

We wouldn't notice changes in our breathing.

But do you know what would happen around us?

Earth's crust contains 45% oxygen.

Without oxygen, crust would crumble.

Causing the ground to crumble and we would be in freefall.

Buildings, bridges and concrete structures would crumble into dust.

As oxygen is the binding agent for concrete.

Cars would stop.

And planes would fall from sky as their combustion engines wouldn't work without oxygen.

Also, losing oxygen means losing almost 21% air pressure.

This would cause our inner ear to explode, causing hearing loss.

It would also become darker suddenly.

Why?

For sunlight to reach us, it needs to bounce off air particles like oxygen, dust etc.

No oxygen means much fewer particles to bounce off, thus much darker.

Can pure oxygen kill you?

No idea.

The air we breathe has many gases out of which 21% is oxygen.

When we inhale.

Much of the oxygen present in air binds to the hemoglobin in red blood cells.

And is transported to various cells where it helps to produce energy.

However, some inhaled oxygen also turns into free radicals.

Free radicals are highly unstable and can be harmful.

Hence, our body produces antioxidants that neutralize the free radicals.

But if we inhale pure oxygen for a long time, then the number of free radicals increases.

It becomes difficult for the antioxidants to neutralize them.

Hence, these unstable free radicals begin to bind with proteins in red blood cells.

And change their chemical structure.

As a result.

Our immune system doesn't recognize the red blood cells and begins to kill them.

Besides this, free radicals even damage the DNA which can lead to cancer.

Earthquakes.

What causes earthquakes?

I, me and myself.

Ya ya.

You show off.

An earthquake is violent shaking of the earth's crust.

The earth's crust is a hard outer covering made up of many pieces called tectonic plates.

These plates are always moving.

However, the motion is very slow.

In a year, they move only 2 to 5 cm.

Hahaha.

My hair grows faster than their movements.

Absolutely.

Mostly when these tectonic plates move.

They brush against each other without causing great damage.

However, sometimes they get stuck and cannot easily slide against each other.

But the plates still keep pushing, thus creating pressure.

Eventually.

The pressure builds up so much that one of the plates suddenly moves above the other.

Or they may crash into each other, causing the crust to shake violently.

Thus creating an earthquake.

How big is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

It can't be bigger than me.

Oh.

You're unbelievable.

Every year, we dump around 8 million tonnes of plastic waste in the oceans.

Now, since plastic doesn't degrade easily.

It keeps floating in the oceans for hundreds of years.

Overtime.

Strong winds and natural ocean currents cause this plastic to gather.

In five massive garbage patches.

The biggest garbage patch of them all is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or GPGP.

It is in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California.

According to estimations, nearly 1.8 trillion plastic pieces are floating in the GPGP.

Which weigh about 90,000 tonnes.

Also, some people say that the GPGP is twice the size of Texas.

Environmentalists are actively trying to develop alternatives for plastic.

We should also contribute and reduce its use.