Oxygen cover art

Oxygen

The Molecule That Made the World

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Oxygen

By: Nick Lane
Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
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About this listen

Three hundred million years ago, in Carboniferous times, dragonflies grew as big as seagulls, with wingspans of nearly a meter. Researchers claim they could have flown only if the air had contained more oxygen than today - probably as much as 35 percent. Giant spiders, tree ferns, marine rock formations, and fossil charcoals all tell the same story. High oxygen levels may also explain the global firestorm that contributed to the demise of the dinosaurs after the asteroid impact.

The strange and profound effects that oxygen has had on the evolution of life pose a riddle that this audiobook sets out to answer. Oxygen is a toxic gas. Divers breathing pure oxygen at depth suffer from convulsions and lung injury. Fruit flies raised at twice the normal atmospheric levels of oxygen live half as long as their siblings. Reactive forms of oxygen, known as free radicals, are thought to cause aging in people. Yet if atmospheric oxygen reached 35 percent in the Carboniferous, why did it promote exuberant growth instead of rapid aging and death?

Oxygen takes the listener on an enthralling journey, as gripping as a thriller, as it unravels the unexpected ways in which oxygen spurred the evolution of life and death.

©2002 Nick Lane (P)2020 Tantor Biological Sciences Earth Sciences Science Paleontology Thought-Provoking Popular Science

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All stars
Most relevant  
Read this book after seeing an article about birds flying over the Himalayas. It was also the best book about basic metabolic processes, mDNA, ATP, cell division, mitochondria & cell signalling. What a fantastic treasure. The only issue is the material being based around the year 2000 but that has just made me want to look up further current information on the basic issues raised. Brilliant.

Brilliant. Great book, engaging, fascinating and enlightening

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Excellent narration. This story, of the origins of O2 and it’s impact on evolution and of life itself is terrific. Wide ranging, at times difficult and complex but well worth the effort to get to grips with how our bodies function at a deep molecular level. You explore how Mitochondria is the key to our health and wellbeing as it converts O2 into energy and its effects if O2 stimulated free radicals are allowed to get out of kilter leading to disease, cancer, old age and eventually death.

I am now 71 years living and learning how to live well with my cancer so this book was a welcome revelation, I wish I studied Biology and Evolution when I was younger but it’s never to late to learn and this book is a wonderful story, well researched and stimulating. My thanks to Nick Lane. Wonderful!

Like a breath of fresh air - invigorating!

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Outstanding concepts some overall technical for a no biologist but raises fascinating questions and great insights, dispelling many myths.

Oxygen

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This is a wonderfully interesting read, but probably not ideal for an audiobook due to the density of the work.

Interesting read but highly complex

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Far more interesting than a book of such subject deserved to be. I enjoyed from start to finish.

great

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This book delves deep not just into oxygen and how it affects us all, its deep dive into the building blocks of life all those millions of years ago and how its relationship with other enzymes, genes, dna and mitochondria
Breathe and believe
🌬️❄️🌊

Scratches the scientist in us all

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so much more interesting than I could of imagined. Fairly academic in places but 100% worth reading

incredibly interesting

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Nick Lane once again writes a popular science book for both scientists and the general public eager to learn more about life as we know it, it’s complex relation with oxygen and the implications for longevity.

Access able to most and yet stimulating enough for those scientist from all disciplines of science and science educators.

I thought the narration was clear and compelling.

I can’t wait to read/ listen to another book by Nick Lane as he write so well and there are many to choose from.

5🌟 rating from me.

Oxygen and its entwined history with the evolution of life.

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