During my time in high altitude astronomy, I routinely witnessed workers breathing medical oxygen, industrial carbon dioxide, nitrogen and helium gas as part of their daily work routine.

~ Steven Magee

Steven Magee Altitude Astrobiology Astronomer Astronomical Astronomy Astrophysics Astrosociobiology Breathing Carbon Daily Dioxide During Gas Helium High Industrial Liquid Medical Nitrogen Osha Oxygen Routine Time Witnessed Work Workers

In the visible world, the Milky Way is a tiny fragment; within this fragment, the solar system is an infinitesimal speck, and of this speck our planet is a microscopic dot. On this dot, tiny lumps of impure carbon and water, of complicated structure, with somewhat unusual physical and chemical properties, crawl about for a few years, until they are dissolved again into the elements of which they are compounded.

~ Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell Carbon Dot Elements Infinitesimal Microscopic Milky Way Solar System Water World

Snow cleaning of the world's largest telescope mirrors was an impressive sight. The optics technicians would climb into a huge telescopic boom lift and spray immense clouds of cold carbon dioxide snow and gas onto the ten meter diameter mirrors high above the floor indoors. It would cause some of the accumulated dirt to magically fall off, leaving it less dirty.

~ Steven Magee

Steven Magee Accumulated Astrobiology Astronomer Astronomical Astronomy Astrophysics Astrosociobiology Boom Carbon Cleaning Climb Clouds Cold Diameter Dioxide Dirt Dirty Gas Huge Immense Impressive Keck Largest Lift Magically Mirror Observatory Optics Sight Snow Spray Technicians Telescope Telescopic World

Originally, the atoms of carbon from which we’re made were floating in the air, part of a carbon dioxide molecule. The only way to recruit these carbon atoms for the molecules necessary to support life—the carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, and lipids—is by means of photosynthesis. Using sunlight as a catalyst the green cells of plants combine carbon atoms taken from the air with water and elements drawn from the soil to form the simple organic compounds that stand at the base of every food chain. It is more than a figure of speech to say that plants create life out of thin air.

~ Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan Atoms Biology Carbon Corn Food Photosynthesis Plants Science

Electric cars are coal-powered cars. Their carbon emissions can be worse than gasoline-powered cars.

~ Vinod Khosla

Vinod Khosla Electric Cars Carbon Worse

A majority of American citizens are now becoming skeptical of the claim that our carbon footprints, resulting from our use of fossil fuels, are going to lead to climatic calamities. But governments are not yet listening to the citizens.

~ John Coleman

John Coleman Listening American Carbon

The hierarchy of relations, from the molecular structure of carbon to the equilibrium of the species and ecological whole, will perhaps be the leading idea of the future.

~ Joseph Needham

Joseph Needham Idea Will Carbon