00:00Could the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean be secretly producing oxygen without sunlight?
00:05Some scientists believe so, while others fiercely disagree.
00:09A groundbreaking discovery suggests that lumpy metallic rocks,
00:13called polymetallic nodules, might generate electrical currents
00:16strong enough to split seawater into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis.
00:22If true, this challenges the long-held belief that life began only when photosynthetic organisms
00:27started producing oxygen 2.7 billion years ago.
00:31The revelation has sparked a heated scientific debate.
00:34While some researchers see this as a revolutionary breakthrough,
00:38others argue the findings are flawed and could simply be due to trapped air bubbles in instruments.
00:44But there's more at stake than just science.
00:46Mining companies are eyeing these nodules for valuable metals like manganese, nickel,
00:50and cobalt, key ingredients in electric car batteries.
00:54Environmentalists warn that deep-sea mining could cause irreversible damage to delicate ecosystems.
01:00So, is dark oxygen real? Or is it just a scientific miscalculation?
01:06The answer could reshape everything we know about the origins of life
01:09and the future of deep-sea exploration.
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