Liquid water is often touted as the key to finding life on other planets. But what about finding alien technology?
For that, claim two astronomers, the key ingredient might be oxygen.
In a study published in Nature Astronomy, they suggest oxygen in the atmosphere – a mark of the ability for a civilisation to burn things – is the crucial element to developing technology on any planet.
They’re calling it an “oxygen bottleneck”.
“In our paper, we explore whether any atmospheric composition would be compatible with the presence of advanced technology,” says Associate Professor Amedeo Balbi from the University of Roma Tor Vergata, Italy.
“We found that the atmospheric requirements may be quite stringent.”
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