Why don't we just breathe nitrogen? #shorts #science #SciShow

Hosted by: Hank Green (he/him)

Emma Dauster: Writer
Rachel Garner: Fact Checker
Savannah Geary: Editor, Associate Producer
Sarah Suta: Producer
Caitlin Hofmeister: Executive Producer
Hank Green: Executive Producer

Sources:

Image Sources:

[useazebra]

Fun fact: the "plant" shown is soybeans, which is actually used as a nitrogen fixer to enrich soil.

[grae]

I would like to thank the bacteria that has helped me and all the good people here with Hank for the sustenance they have provided us

[Epicmonk]

It also helps that oxygen is the second most electronegative element on the periodic table

[first-thoughtgiver-of-will]

The nitrogen cycle is underrated in science education from my experience.

[EDoyl]

Oxidation-you become older and weaker
Nitration-you become explosive

[aboudawik]

Fun fact : nitrogen is also called azote, which derived from the Greek word Azotikos which means no life, because it was thought to be a part of the air that life does not need (as opposed to oxygen)

[portman]

Fun fact: Because our bodies can only tell if we have too much carbon dioxide in our lungs, instead of if we don't have enough oxygen, if you walked into a room filled with nitrogen gas you wouldn't even realize anything was wrong, until you suddenly fall unconscious and die from lack of oxygen.

[DanNowlan]

You can't say we don't BREATHE nitrogen (gas). We actually can't help but breathe it. What we can't do is METABOLIZE nitrogen (gas).

[therevelator]

It’s crazy to think that 4/5ths of the air we breathe in is exhaled completely unchanged

[joshmyer]

This may be the best short I've seen thus far. I appreciate you guys doing the work to try out this format while still cramming in some edumacatin'. Thank you!

[WulfgarOpenthroat]

"Those're some nice molecules you have there, be a shame if someone were to... eat them..."
-the story of evolution, basically.

[firelow]

Credit: Jsjsjsjjsj
This made me chuckle

[ljgrant]

THIS IS NEARLY WORD FOR WORD MY LECTURE ON NITROGEN CYCLING!! I teach 9th grade biology, and have been teaching this nearly the same for years! Cool!!

[bastianmerriman]

Fun fact: death by breathing in nitrogen is a completely painless death, so if you accidentally breathe in too much, at least u won't have to worry about any pain

[Thestudio]

We should study Hank's brain, so we figure out what make him teach science like this.
And then we program school teachers to be like that.
I wish i had more teachers like him back in my school days.

[kasimirb]

To be fair: plants can't breathe nitrogen either. They take it in via their root system in collaboration with fungi.

[christopherg]

Nitrogen exists in 3 states:
- A gas so innert, it might as well be a noble gas
- a few stable compounds
- The core ingredient of every single explosive on the planet

[jannetteberends]

Just 12 hours before this video I watched a video of the Crime Reel where someone who was convicted to the death penalty choose for nitrogen asphyxiation as method.

[GodTheAlmightyHeavenlyFather]

The chemistry of our bodies is so complicated and beautifully structured.

[frictionhitch]

I've been saying this for years. Three-way bonds appear to be a good thing at first glance but they almost always turn out to be overcomplicated. Whenever you can stick to two-way bonds. They might seem boring at first glance but they're much easier for humans to deal with. It's simply way too much headache to try to break up a triple bond