The universe is so huge it is unlikely we're alone.
Simply put, without fire, humans wouldn’t be where we are today.
Of course, we didn’t ‘discover’ fire – it happens naturally – but evidence suggests humans first learnt how to control itThanks to those pyre pioneers, this enabled early civilisations to smelt and mould metals, leading first to the Bronze Age, then the Iron age. Over millennia, this resulted in the invention of the internal combustion engine, a revolution in our history.
Some also argue that cooking food led to an expansion in our brains, further enabling humans’ incredible development.Well, laboratory experiments have shown that atmospheres with oxygen levels below about 18% do not allow combustion to fully occur. So even if life did exist elsewhere, no matter how smart they were, chances are they would never be able to develop technology advanced enough to either find us, or help us find them.
‘You may have enough oxygen in the atmosphere of an exoplanet to have complex multicellular life, but you may not have enough oxygen to start combustion,’ said co-author Professor Amedeo Blabi, speaking to New Scientist.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
England & Australia prepare for epic semi-finalEngland and Australia are both hoping to make history by reaching the Women's World Cup final for the first time when they meet in Sydney on Wednesday.
Read more »
Spain beat Sweden in dramatic finish to reach finalSpain beat Sweden to reach their first Women's World Cup final in a dramatic finish in Auckland.
Read more »
Brown-Finnis' World Cup semi-final predictionsBBC Sport's football expert Rachel Brown-Finnis gives her predictions for the Women's World Cup semi-finals.
Read more »
England fans face another Australia showdown as Lionesses battle to reach finalEngland take on host nation Australia in Sydney in the semi-final of the Women’s World Cup.
Read more »
Bungie detailing Destiny 2's concluding expansion The Final Shape next weekAfter six years, Destiny 2's concluding expansion, The Final Shape, is almost in sight, with a launch expected early ne…
Read more »