I get these stories as a way of pointing out the inherant absurditity in a lot of every day things…
…but also… life requires energy. Something’s gotta keep the metabolism going. Oxygen is both highly reactive and significantly more abundant than any of its heavier counterparts further down the column. If there is life out there with a metabolic rate anywhere approaching our own, it would be weird if it didn’t use oxygen.
I remember seeing a meme about what alien life might be like and they say “what do you mean all life on Earth breathes rocket fuel???”
The dominant species exposes itself to damaging stellar radiation as a form of recreation.
I get these stories as a way of pointing out the inherant absurditity in a lot of every day things…
…but also… life requires energy. Something’s gotta keep the metabolism going. Oxygen is both highly reactive and significantly more abundant than any of its heavier counterparts further down the column. If there is life out there with a metabolic rate anywhere approaching our own, it would be weird if it didn’t use oxygen.
The great filter turned out to be an atmosphere fire. We’re lucky we got nitrogen.