• Paradachshund@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    2 months ago

    Can you explain that first part in more detail? I really know nothing about this and I’m curious to hear more.

    • Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      2 months ago

      Fire gets it’s energy from fuel+oxygen. Most life does too. Plants (and other photosynthetic organisms) can also get energy from light but that requires you to sit in the sun doing not much for a long time. There’s also chemosynthesis, where energy is obtained from a chemical reaction, but that’s usually not nearly as powerful as oxidation.

      Put another way, a car with NOS is way faster and more powerful than one without. So too is life that uses oxygen more powerful than life that doesn’t.

      • Paradachshund@lemmy.today
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        2 months ago

        That’s really interesting. I didn’t realize the burning in slow motion thing was so literal. Thanks for the comment!

        • chatokun@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          2 months ago

          It’s so ingrained in our life processes. You know Calories? The capital C version(or Kcal in some countries) is 1000 calories. What do they measure? The potential heat whatever is being measured can generate. Our fuel intake is measured by how well it burns.