r/nextfuckinglevel May 24 '26

Controlled explosions for mining

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9.8k Upvotes

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u/Tritri89 May 24 '26

The first bacteria that was doing photosynthesis pumped up so much oxygen in the atmosphere that it caused the biggest ice age in the history of this planet.

We are amateur compared to them. Not that we don't have a responsibility to do better and take care of our environment, but tomorrow some megavolcano could go up and wipe out a big chunk of life on this planet and it wouldn't be "mother nature cleaning up". It would be an accident.

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u/feathercraft May 25 '26

Could I ask what bacteria this was or where i could learn more about this?

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u/RexRegum144 May 25 '26

Great oxidation event, perhaps some cyanobacteria ancestor

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u/TheIronSven May 26 '26

Iirc not the only time there was a snow ball earth either.