The Why Files: Operation Podcast 595: Dark Oxygen | CIA Deep Sea Secret Could Trigger the Next Extinction Event (STRIPPED)
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May 23, 2025 Discover the astonishing revelation of rocks generating electricity and oxygen deep in the ocean, hypothesized as Earth’s original oxygen source. Learn how the CIA has guarded this secret since the 1960s and its implications for alien life. Dive into the unique ecosystems around these seafloor nodules, home to newly identified species thriving on electricity. Yet, the looming threat of deep-sea mining risks the destruction of millions of years of evolution, prompting urgent calls for sustainability to prevent a potential mass extinction.
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Dark Oxygen Powers Ancient Rocks
- Ancient metallic rocks on the ocean floor generate electricity and produce oxygen without sunlight.
- This dark oxygen could explain Earth's early atmosphere before plants existed.
CIA's Secret Deep Sea Discovery
- The CIA's 1970s Project Azorian secretly recovered a sunken Soviet submarine.
- During the mission, they discovered polymetallic nodules, revealing a hidden energy source on the seafloor.
Nodules Form Electric Networks
- Billions of these nodules form vast electrical networks on the seafloor, powering a small city.
- The CIA classified research due to the nodules' electromagnetic properties and potential weapon uses.