“Dark Oxygen” Discovery Follow Up (Addressing Your Comments & Questions)! GEO GIRL

[@FrancisFjordCupola]

"Cite your own professional work" award achieved!

[@baomao7243]

I’ve literally seen this only once before - a US national lab director (Berkeley) doing expensive research ties to a high-end particle accelerator (ie VERY few other researchers can find or even access the tools). Presenting his results, he, of course, cited many others’ work, but maybe every -10 minutes he’d say, “work done the Shank team” (ie his own group), or … “work done by us” or “my team showed…” It was actually quite humorous yet sobering - the guy was literally THE authority on the topic...yet it just sounded like a funny mix of researcher-speak and hubris, which weirdly, it was not.

[@willythemailboy2]

The glow of pride when she said that was well earned. Good job, Geo Girl!

[@firstnamelastname9918]

@@baomao7243 I've seen Dr Becky do it in one of her videos. 😋😁

[@Joca497]

Cold fusion via cavitation?

[@sparklytreesarecool]

Could not agree more! Father in law, Geography department head, taught his post doc students to cite own work where appropriate!

[@matusknives]

I very much appreciate you making a follow up video on this topic - and also mentioning different hypotheses for different processes and not just jumping to your personal favorite version. Thank you.

[@tonydagostino6158]

Really like the deep dive (abyssal dive?) into the subject. I had first thought the chemical reactions in the precipitation process resulted in the free electrons but the bimetallic current flow makes much more sense. Ship builders use the same concept by attaching zinc or aluminum plates to steel ship hulls to concentrate all the corrosive reactions on the metal of the plate and not the ship hull. It seems likely to have extraterrestrial significance too with all the oceans we hypothesize on other planets and moons

[@toastyburger]

Your joyful excitement is wonderful to behold. Dr. Ben Miles' channel reported the mining company claims there is no oxygen production and it's all down to contamination. They'll be publishing a rebuttal shortly. Naturally, I'm skeptical of their self-serving findings. I value your expert opinion and hope you continue to keep us informed!

[@JP-lz3vk]

Criticism of scientific papers is essential to the scientific process. Scientists (yes, even the ones with pure hearts) can be very wrong.

[@toastyburger]

​@@JP-lz3vkAgreed. But corporations have a history of publishing studies that support their interests that later prove misleading or false.

[@jimthain8777]

@@toastyburger The oil industry being the "poster boy" for that particular weasel ploy.

[@sehrgut42]

​@@JP-lz3vk Companies publishing propaganda is not part of the scientific process. This is common sense, I'm afraid.

[@JP-lz3vk]

@@sehrgut42 You don't know whether its propaganda or not until you test it. It has nothing to do with who funded it. Look up the "Genetic Fallacy"

[@velvetmagnetta3074]

I didn't expect our questions about Dark Oxygen to be answered in a video so soon! I'm so happy! Thank you, Geo Girl. This clears up a whole lotta questions I had last time - and the questions I read in the comments, too. It is really interesting how those nodules seem to gather(?) or be found in deep little underwater "deserts" without much plant or animal life around. (That I can see, anyway. Maybe there's some microscopic life floating around there?) Actually...is there? Does any algae or something similar grow on the outside of those nodules? Are the nodules slimy? Or do they truly gather in deserted areas of the seafloor? But if deep sea life tends to require little or no oxygen, then those nodules may be acting like a toxic barrier to anaerobic lifeforms. Also, that thallium work looks pretty interesting. And that graph illustrating the substrate structure was so clear. Nice work!

[@theCodyReeder]

The way I see it metal ions that are in a high oxidation state are being reduced to a lower oxidation state and some of the surplus oxidation potential is making molecular oxygen. But the total oxidation overall is decreasing. So oxygen is being produced at the ocean floor but near the surface more oxygen is being used up.

[@Sakkura1]

That wouldn't be a catalytic mechanism, then, as suggested at 9:56.

[@geekswithfeet9137]

Im still confused how even that could explain this. That metal ions that cluster over 100’s of 1000’s of years can contribute metabolically significant oxygen levels. Also I love you man, you have had such an enormous influence on me personally.

[@firstnamelastname9918]

@@geekswithfeet9137 I'm with you on this except that I have an abstract concept of it. It's more than just catalytic reaction, iiuc, it's an electrocatalytic reaction where a difference in electrical charge across a catalyst increases the reaction. There are also photocatalysts where light increases a catalytic reaction -- they are used in air purifiers to generate hyroxyl radicals to oxidize VOCs w/o also oxidizing the phospholids of our mucus membrane cells. :)

[@barbaradurfee645]

Love to read the thoughtful comments by people with different experience/expertise from metalurgy, chemistry, biology, oceanography, engineering, physics, etc. Shows how beneficial the internet can be for integrating knowledge from diverse perspectives. Also interesting to see people reveal their agendas by their comments.

[@scottgardener]

Congrats in being a part of this big discovery!

[@nomdeguerre7265]

Properly speaking it's a theory, not a 'discovery'. Further research is required to establish confidence in the results of this study as well as to better quantify the phenomenon on large scales, if it proves valid.

[@neleig]

Great follow up. Excellent detail and clarification.

[@SnowyOwlPrepper]

These Mn nodules were mined in East Tennessee from the clays regoliths over Cambrian carbonates and shales. Used mostly for making steel in the WWII era.

[@disklamer]

Fascinating research thanks for exploring!

[@FlameofDemocracy]

I am glad that you are using the correct term, 'electrolysis.' I saw battery in a few places, but as always your levels of detail, clarity, and scholarship are unparalleled. Looking forward to future shows.

[@rijumatiwallis7597]

Thanks for the clarity of your thinking, especially how the nodules are unlikely to predate the GOE... I think you're brain is working really well!

[@sydhenderson6753]

In fact, I'm wondering whether that's about when they started forming.

[@andywomack3414]

I would add a sixth question: Are we seeing something that isn't there? OK, I get it. A transfer of energy via metallic ions. Does the cold sea-water under pressure effect the process? Has the O2 content of sea-water adjacent to the nodules been analyzed for isotope ratios? Forgive me if covered in previous video.

[@robertshindeliii]

A little off topic from the video, but I just found your channel because of your last video, and I have to say, it's always awesome to see how excited science communicators get when you get to their favorite topics. Yea, they're excited for science in general, it's awesome, but when it's in your field or you just have a particular interest in it, the extra happiness is always so contagious and definitely makes my day better! Thank you for everything you do for science communication, and I hope we hear more about these nodules/this process soon!

[@zachhoy]

I agree, as opposed to general science communicators (no shade intended, but I too find her genuine excitement and interest contagious)

[@mandobob]

This brings up some interesting pondering regarding banded iron formation creation. Because the layering of iron is dependent on redox conditions and given the age of most BIF perhaps this ionic generation of O2 offers another puzzle to unravel. Just goes to show that nothing is ever fully known in science (especially in geology) and further study, as always 😁 , can lead to new discoveries.

[@nomdeguerre7265]

As usual, excellent presentation! Great work.

[@KwanLowe]

Thanks!

[@GEOGIRL]

Thank you so much! 😁

[@wolfpackastrobiology3690]

Great video but I do have something to add: we have evidence of photosynthesis which dates back to 3.5 Ga but there is little evidence that it was oxygenic and instead likely used H2S as the electron donor. Also, much of the claims of oxygenic photosynthesis between 3.2 and 2.8 Ga is based on the redox stratification of metals that would have been in the oceans. However, a possibility that's ignored is that phototrophic organisms protoxidized the metals themselves to reduce carbon dioxide. Oxygenic phototrophs don't photo oxidize water directly but instead photoxidize a manganese (III) to a manganese (IV) in the oxygen evolving complex (EOC) and the manganese (III) is regenerated by oxidising a water molecule so it's likely that the progenitor of oxygenic phototrophy used reduced metals in the water column instead.

[@Pelidude]

Cool! I'm so happy you and Shawn are doing a show together. I watch you both and am looking forward to it. Yea!

[@lethargogpeterson4083]

When you said that the kicker was that "manganese nodules require oxygen to form," at about 24:15, one of those descending trombone sounds like "womp, womp, womp, waah" sounded in my head.

[@sparklytreesarecool]

Thank you, Rachel. As always, well informed, summarized, and stated!

[@sparklytreesarecool]

Well

[@joblo341]

Cool stuff. One of the questions was about origin of life. I just saw another video talking about discovery of a potential for a new type of life. They found cells that incorporated a specific bacteria. These could (in geologic time) lead to new types of life. They gave 2 earlier examples, one was mitochondria (if I recall the right name) to generate energy within the cell. The other was the incorporation of chloroplasts that lead to plant life. "Produce" nodules: maybe not nodules, but if "we" could set up "water mining" at volcanic hydro-thermal vents. Suck up mineral rich hot water being released, precipitate minerals out. Then the trick is finding vents releasing the right minerals in "commercial concentrations", assuming the pumping and precipitation technology exists ...

[@diegotolentin]

2nd video I'm seeing in your site, loved it, congratulations

[@firstnamelastname9918]

Thank you for the wonderful clarifications and "filling in the blanks" in my understanding of this phenomena. This is very helpful for me to see electrical phenomena in less constrained ideas as "generators" and "batteries". This reminds me a bit of how a heart isn't just a muscle responding to signals from the brain, it's also it's own electrical signal-producing organ!

[@qwertyuiop1st]

I don't know if there is an answer to this.....the nodules are sitting on the sea floor, with much more seawater circulating around the part not resting on the sea bottom.....so my initial assumption would be that there is more deposition on the surface with more exposure to seawater.... (Also, your delight at this unexpected discovery is contagious - I wish I had teachers like you when I was in High School....)

[@undergroundalienstudios56]

Big 'agree' here that these polymetallic nodules have very little to do with abiogenesis or the origins of complexity. I'd hazard a guess think it's the moon's tidal forces is what did it for us. Shallow seas are basically always where we find the highest biodiversity, and there's good reason for it. Water is a universal solvent, and waves crashing against rocks dissolves heavy materials, and the ocean's the churn against the atmosphere dissolves light materials. This highly diversified chemical soup, in the presence of an external high energy source like the solar gradient, was probably necessary for the evolution of complex life. Even if life started near thermal vents (another good source of a dense, highly varied chemical soup and temperature energy gradient), there likely just wasn't enough vents to ever fuel complex life. Another big thanks to Theia, eh?

[@barbaradurfee645]

Energy gradients at every scale so key

[@frankheilingbrunner7852]

Maybe, but dilution has been the big problem in scenarios for the combination of chemicals into self-sustaining systems. Some people think that the process started among chemicals stuck onto certain rock or clay surfaces.

[@yesid17]

i wish i could like this video more than once! your enthusiasm and passion for this topic is heartwarming and contagious, thank you for all that you do, and @ youtube algorithm gods, thank you for blessing me with the recommendation for your initial dark oxygen video lol in any case lol another great video, keep up the good work!

[@paulgreen9059]

The Q and A is more interesting than the actual story!

[@neotericrecreant]

You continue to do amazing work. A very niche yet wide variety of knowledge. This subject continues to intrigue me and I've found alot more specific communication here than other places. Great work!

[@LittleWaffle]

What a cool video ! And good job with that citation

[@deanbernal8866]

Excellent presentation and information. I usually don't forward too many long videos, but this is certainty and exception. I found this an immediate and necessary topic to understand. Especially since deep sea mining wants to remove these nodules for their profitable metals. That's a dangerous thing to do. We must really understand the purpose of these nodules.

[@tristansonline]

New to your channel and just wanted to say your last two videos were great! I liked your challenge around synthesizing these nodules. You're right that these are in water in trace amounts and that we'd need cathodes made of the target metals we're trying to remove. But something I thought would be interesting is that we do often have a lot of concentrated seawater from a by product of desalinization. I found a paper on scientists trying this by targeting calcium and magnesium, and hopefully the nodule discoveries will drive more research into this area

[@erikziak1249]

Thank you for the video Rachel! Truly thought provoking. It is lovely that a recent paper you contributed to is relevant to this topic. You rock! Pun intended. 🙂 I will show myself out.

[@scisher3294]

Half hour follow up update video!?!? Awesome 🤩

[@mspock7]

Nice work.

[@dbp192000]

How am I supposed to see how amazing this is when you take my breath away?

[@eaterdrinker000]

True, Rachel looks a little more charmingly disarming this week. Je ne sais quoi.

[@LiftPizzas]

Thanks for the response video. :)

[@fwiffo]

A better question than "where does the electricity come from" is "where does the energy come from?" Electrolysis is not energetically favorable; that's why hydrogen burns in oxygen and releases heat. If the energy comes from the formation of the nodules either by creating an electrical potential, or by reducing the metals... well, the nodules grow really slowly so the amount of oxygen would be super tiny.

[@HunterHogan]

kinetic; water.

[@RobertDPore]

Thank you for making this video, this answered so many questions for me! I feel like the whole "generating nodules in a lab" question was a little weirdly phrased, since the more plausible version of this would be to investigate whether there's a way to mine these metals directly from ocean water, that could by some technology accumulate these metals in the coastal oceans substantially faster than natural processes. It seems to me that *if* this is possible it would be a much more "sustainable" way of getting these metals than just harvesting the nodules until they run out.

[@projectmalus]

or turn it around so the metal mined on land is turned into nodules to prevent anerobic ocean dieoff and smell.

[@dylangreen6075]

Maybe something involving high pressures... The only issue is those timescales are required to allow the nodules to grow that large. Mother nature's already passed the torch to us. We could probably design a much better catalyst inspired by them! Y

[@robbabcock_]

Awesome video! This is a pretty major reworking of our understanding of oxygen!

[@omeshsingh8091]

Before the GOE, could volcanic eruptions have interacted with clouds to produce acid rain that dissolves minerals and washes them into the ocean to be an input for nodule production?

[@trtlphnx]

Absolutely Amazing , Rachel!!!

[@richardlee3993]

WOW! awesome!!! gj Hydrogen production uses iodine and sulfur, which could easily be abundant in the ocean.

[@mandobob]

Electrolysis requires no other outside input to produce H2. Could other actors help, perhaps but not necessary.

[@dominicboyle1480]

Great vid. Prior to the oxygenation of the seas and atmosphere the seas had higher concentrations of iron and other metals that form oxides so the nodule formation could have been aided or impeded by conditions on the sea floor then,

[@tinlizziedl001]

chasing down the fractions... how many digits can we stick after the decimal points. This always takes time and effort :) Excellent explainer, Geo Girl! I love how you're willing to acknowledge the nuances and your own limits & biases. The self-awareness of a true scientist :) Now, my question is: Can the nodules be dated somehow? I don't know enough about nuclear physics to know if something like carbon-14 dating is possible on these beasties.

[@GEOGIRL]

Yep! Not necessarily by C14 dating, but by other isotopic dating for sure. If not the nodules themselves, the surrounding strata can help us constrain the date of ancient nodules as well as any fossils preserved. :)

[@Backwoods-Bob]

Could the nodule formation process be used to clean metallic contamination from water?

[@Edgarbopp]

I’m so happy we have you to help us understand this!!! Our very own geology PhD. Thanks!!

[@ndmmt-wu7kz]

That’s an excellent insight. I never thought of this process as catalytic!

[@johnfinkbiner3599]

On the other hand, how a catalyst can drive an energetically unfavorable reaction remains to be explained.

[@aresaurelian]

This is what I wanted to see; I love debate and discussion leading to meaningful novel discovery.

[@tsmspace]

I love your videos, by now to me you're just a part of the world. I can't even see the world without GeoGirl. I'm a bit of a wildcard but I still think it's a reasonable question ,, could these polymetallic nodules themselves be a life form? I understand their formation is not terribly different than cave formations but you have to wonder if some cave formations might not also be life forms, but the amount of energy that might "move and store" in a polymetallic nodule is more and in that case could it be that it has an experience? ((I mean people have before wondered if crystals have an experience as they form, but again the nodules are quite a different beast in the way they form charges across their layers and how cells are the same ))

[@shickakaper8028]

Haa, pretty cool. Really cool actually. The alternating layers, anodic, cathodic, prolly make an excellent catalyst.. damnit you just said it lol, at any rate .. they're like a mineral analog of a proto biological cell. The hydroxides are the key, they suck in the water and the metallic layers split it. It's a really weird mechanism like a van-der-wallian effect Yes you can definitely replicate them via chemical vapor deposition. Certainly by iron carbonyl upon manganese hydroxide substrate.. Nevertheless it's a new effect, the center is so dry it sucks the water in, but it's ripped apart via the stress. It's a new effect and you can name a battery after that new effect.🎉 Good job. I'm sure 20 years from now this battery will be chemically deposited on peoples cars. Hope you have a fancy last name so you can name the effect

[@danwylie-sears1134]

At 23:20, is "glutathine" a typo of "glutathione", or is it some obscure chemical? I still don't understand how it's supposed to work. What's the overall reaction, that's energetically favorable? Splitting water doesn't just need a catalyst. It needs an energy source.

[@eliavrad2845]

I'm still confused: where does the free energy comes from? For atmospheric oxygen, this is the sun, but aside from geothermal nodule which have geothermal energy, shouldn't the hydrogenic metal adsorption build-up occur only if its a more-stable configuration then free ions, and so they shouldn't interact with water? Is there another source of high-free-energy ions? Are there ion concentration gradients in different parts of the sea and the nodules are made between them? Is there a natural "weather" of solutes which changes over the year and the nodules "retain" the energy? Is it some mineral being "consumed" somewhere? Change in temperature?

[@TreyRuiz]

Perhaps nodules/mineral rich water could be better created from the brine discharge at desalination plants?

[@123571321]

What's the water temperature around the metal nodules? Is it warm or cold?

[@oopskapootz7276]

5:00 so they precipitate by… precipitating? I don’t understand how are the little pieces (grains? molecules?) are “attracted” and “glued” to the core and then to the metalic layers. Are you saying that if a molecular Iron in the water meets an Iron nodule, it will get glued there somehow and form the layers? How? I can understand how drops of water kinda stick together due to surface tension because of cohesive forces. Is it similar in this case? Thanks for the great content!

[@garyhundt]

Try some simple crystal growing experiments in your kitchen, or some electroplating experiments, to gain some intuition.

[@oopskapootz7276]

@@garyhundt thanks that’s a good suggestion!

[@wildmanofthenorth1598]

Thermal couple mechanism, maybe? Maybe some piezoelectric involved? Fluctuations of pressure or temperature differences?

[@dennisbrown5313]

No significant pressure changes

[@garyhundt]

​@@dennisbrown5313But the reactions might be favored at higher pressures.

[@artificercreator]

Wait a minute, what a about a "geology news" series? From volcanos to published papers, it could be a nice niche for youtube.

[@tott598]

Another follow up question, is it possible that the iron deposits from the great oxidation event also functioned like these nodules in generating oxygen? Would have a bigger effect then these patches of nodules, just speculating tho, idk...

[@dennisbrown5313]

The opposite is believed to have happen - that is why the iron is iron oxide in ores.

[@ronkirk5099]

A pretty deep dive with some pretty technical Geology which is challenging for the non-Geologist (I'm a retired engineer), but very interesting nonetheless. I really enjoy learning new things even in my old age. It is a good thing we learned about the O2 production before large scale seafloor mining started. Mining has the potential not only to disturb the local area, but disrupt the whole benthic ecosystem.

[@_andrewvia]

What part of the nodule serves as the anode? - and the cathode? Did I miss this in part of your video?

[@zachhoy]

your channel is awesome! great explanations

[@dylangreen6075]

Thank you for such a sober analysis!

[@takingbacktheplanet]

first read the news a few days ago, a week or so maybe? and it keeps popping up, so i finally decided it was time to click on a video about them... no better place to start than at @GEO GIRL 😻.

[@johntarsa3248]

What came first the chicken or the nodule-egg?

[@StrivetobeDust]

Very clear explanation. Thank you!

[@davidniemi6553]

The continuous availability of additional metal ions from seawater makes this sound more like a fuel cell than a battery (at least compared to a rechargeable battery). Of course in a fuel cell you also need a steady quantity of something for the ions in seawater to react with, not just a catalyst to make the reaction faster and more likely, although having both helps.

[@Sakkura1]

9:56 But catalysts only work if the reaction is thermodynamically favorable. Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is not favorable under the vast majority of circumstances, so I don't understand how that would work.

[@sydhenderson6753]

Which means there's a source of energy. Some sort of thermal gradient perhaps or energy from water circulation?

[@jonthecomposer]

Thank you for your scientific contributions!!! Science is THE most important thing humanity has. Without it, we'd be living in the past without engines, phones, electric, plastics, eyeglasses, medicine, and anything else you can pretty much think of that enhances our lives.

[@geosamways]

Great video! Lots of ramifications here. I am wondering if we have examples of these nodules in the geological record that we might exploit for minerals, or did the deep basinal sediments get subsumed in subduction zones and never get preserved. The other thing that occurs to me is whether any of the mineral precipitation is bio-mediated?. Did bacteria have any part to play in the precipitation process? Do oxic bacteria consume the oxygen as fast as it is formed? Just been reading up on Birnessite, which was first discovered in Scotland! It seems that bio-mediated Birnessite formation is more efficient. This from wikipedia "Its precipitation from the oxidation of Mn(II) in oxygenated aqueous solutions is kinetically hindered and slow on mineral surfaces. Biological Mn(II) oxidation is generally fast relative to abiotic Mn(II) oxidation processes, and for this reason the majority of natural birnessites is believed to be produced by microorganisms, especially bacteria, but also fungi.[13]"

[@terenzo50]

At the risk of sounding flippant, one could say "electricity rocks". My two minipoopers say hi! to Hope again.

[@KD0406]

I was just watching your video of last week and then research on the topic more and just after 1 hour I found this video of your 😂

[@GEOGIRL]

Haha oh good, I am glad the timing worked out! ;)

[@charlesjmouse]

Thank you. I wonder if these nodules have anything to do with / may be markers of extinction events, themselves often associated with 'black shales'..?

[@charcoal386]

Ty

[@gilga03gig61]

Thanks for this detailed summary! I am a bit surprised by the lack of data regarding the HER reaction since they only measured the O2 production (unless I missed it), not the H2, which should be concomittent unless another species is being reduced. Also, the electrochemical part remains elusive? I guess the paper is more a "communication paper" than a thorough study. Anyway, really interesting discoveries

[@garyhundt]

Could be producing H+ ions rather than H2.

[@gilga03gig61]

@@garyhundt H+ is for sure a side-product of the OER reaction in acidic media (half-cell reaction). Any redox reaction requires 2 half-cell reactions with one species being oxidised (here H2O -> O2) and another being reduced (here idk, most of the time HER: H2O -> H2). Within the same nodule, I guess we could expect to have oxidation sites (Mn-rich here) and reduction sites. I am just curious about the chemistry involved here.

[@craiggillas6434]

Thank you for the fantastic content. 👏👏

[@jasonclow6962]

I'm curious if solar storms that hit our magnetosphere have any effect on the voltage and oxygen output of these?

[@footfault1941]

Geo Girl struggling in suffocating constantly upcoming chuckles for excitement! We viewers share her emotion, as implications are shaping visibly. Yet, much remaining to do. Among other questions, one thing noticeable is the shape of nodule in a thumbnail not beautifully spherical, but looking like a raspberry. What does that irregularity in shape stand for? Another thing, shown in the video, but not mentioned, is about effects of depth where nodules are formed. Is that due to availability of metals? Does tremendous water pressure have anything to do with it? Curious, as well as ironic, is this. The more secrets revealed, the more questions emerge! Good luck, & we're looking forward to following ups!

[@MrFlaviojosefus]

Fantastic Video!!!! Absolut fantastic.

[@eefaaf]

I've previously commented (but maybe not on your channel) that in salty water, electrolysis would generate Cl2 before O2. As O2 production apparently is being measured, there should either be some catalyst that facilitats splitting of water over oxidizing Cl-, or oxygen is released from other compounds, like oxides or hydroxides, in other words, a chemical reaction, not electrolysis. There could of course be a mix of both, and the oxygen producing reaction contributing to the potential difference they measured, but wasn't that only measure in the lab, and not in situ? So there might not be much of a potential generated at the sea floor.

[@christopherjohnbutler4033]

also water moving around the geodes may charge them as it is friction. Also constant tempreture changes in the water converses to thre rock alternating their electrical states.

[@tysonjbest]

is there any nodules ever found on land that was previously ocean area back in time?

[@garyhundt]

Another poster here did mention that Manganese nodules used to be mined in Tennessee.

[@gailgreen5012]

Brilliant. Any mining of the sea floor must be immediately curtailed.

[@JosephKeenanisme]

Thank you PhD lady! Geology isn't really my thing but the deep ocean is. I've been interested in the geothermal vents since the 80s. Deep vents have the UV and radiation protection put have other problems for first life but so do tidal pools. Possible mud geysers and mineral pools similar to Yellowstone, with a porous rock structure and eh clay it could provide enough shelter from UV and cosmic ray damage. Combine writing and a bit of autism and you're always reading abut something that interests you.

[@Tylwaa]

There was an interesting interview with a rep from one the mining companies. He looked like he hadn't slept much in weeks, even kind of stumbling around an answer "People are just over-reacting, it's nothing, nothing" Which made me think he was worried and it was something!

[@ComradeArthur]

thank you for covering the "infinite battery" question!

[@khillikialea]

What affect are these nodules having on there surrounded environments?. What affect to they have on the life and lifeforms?

[@brucethomas471]

This was such a cool video. I've been wondering about these nodules for a few years now. And hey, you are a beautiful young gal and it's fun to watch your videos. I'm a picture framer so of course I see the picture behind you! Maybe see you on patreon soon.

[@phelipbarrospeixoto6426]

Do you think that those nodules are broke after the O² is extracted ? Cause, they could be used as fuel for the ocean life. Although another source of oxygen would be great it also can't be to abundant for us, cause of the insects.

[@kevinkatzke9845]

Are these metals only found in these notedes ?

[@briancurtis6022]

is there any data on how the quantity/population of deep-sea nodules may have shifted over the years since the GOE? How long have they been forming, and has their rate of formation gone up or down?

[@BlunderfulGuy]

I got a sudden desire for popcorn and Mike & Ikes like a movie was about to start when I saw the thumbnail and title. I wonder if it's because of the nodules... *eats popcorn and presses play*

[@frankheilingbrunner7852]

It would have been good to explain explicitly why the electrolysis is producing oxygen but not chlorine. My best understanding from the presentation is that the oxygen, in the form of hydroxide groups, is physically set up for electrolysis when the metal hydroxides adsorb onto the nodule surface, and this physical arrangement is the catalytic effect.

[@robloggia]

Based on your video it sounds like the contribution to atmospheric oxygen wouldn't be significant, but I'm wondering whether this would produce a false biosignature say for any distant telescopes looking for habitable worlds.

[@willythemailboy2]

I think the comments asking if we could replicate this process were asking more about how this could be applied to our current electrolysis processes, creating more efficient catalysts that use the relatively more common metals found in these nodules rather than the palladium we use now. These nodules are not the only sources of these metals, so replicating the process might be accomplished with metals mined in the more traditional manner. Once we find out what's going on at the molecular level we can start working on ways to construct artificial versions of these catalysis sites.

[@gregs3845]

Interested in knowing more about how the O2 would be consumed before rising to the shallower depths. Would it bind to metal ions thus creating more metal oxides thus facilitating more nodule growth? If there's not much life in these nodule areas some kind of inorganic process must be consuming the O2 if there is no evidence dark O2 is contributing to the O2 biocycle.

[@A_Me_Amy]

i think it is cool that it is related to your paper. i like that sort of thing

[@Bigandrewm]

It seems that most references to these polymetallic nodules involve them sitting on the surface of the ocean floor. What is the oldest known ancient seafloor that these are found embedded in, if any?

[@dancooper8551]

So fascinating!!