Oxygen has had a long history; it was the 18th element to be discovered of
118 known elements, of which 28 have been created artificially. Oxygen is essential for
all aerobic life on earth and pure oxygen at various partial pressures and mixed with
other gases is used as a medicine for conditions where the oxygen supply is inadequate,
including for premature infants whose lungs are not completely developed. Oxygen is
also used for pathologies where oxygen supply to tissues is compromised. Oxygen is a
component in gas mixtures used for deep-water diving for sport, recreation, salvage,
exploration and mining. Oxygen is a requirement for manned space flight and
commercial air travel. In the future, it is a certainty that all of these uses and
requirements will continue. It is almost as sure that things now predictable based on
past and current research and things as yet unimagined are destined to happen in the
future. For therapy, it is probable that artificial blood that adequately perfuses the body
will be routine. For recreation, it is likely that private oxygen chambers will get fancier
and be more widely used, as will oxygen as a novelty is “sports” bars. In sports, the use
of oxygen in breathing mixtures for deep-sea diving and by free divers will continue
although it is difficult to see how current records can be much extended. Artificial gills
will never become practical but by mimicking sea mammals, man may become as free
as dolphins to explore the deeps. For endurance sports and sprints, oxygen
supplementation, particularly for training recovery and its psychological effect, will
become common and contribute to new records. Ways to manufacture oxygen cheaply
and reliably will make possible undersea habitats that will include underwater cities. As
future therapy, antioxidants and other oxidant stress protector molecules will allow
expanded therapies for many conditions which are limited by the toxicity of oxygen.
The most spectacular advance will be in artificial photosynthesis that will remove
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, provide oxygen and carbon-based fuels and power
cells that will far outstrip solar cells.
Keywords: Artificial blood, Artificial photosynthesis, Aquarius, Biosphere 2,
Chlorobiaceae, CRISPR, Deep water diving, Dubai underwater hotel, Gills, Habitats, Hyperbaric chambers, ISSHL, Lagrangian point, Myoglobin, Ocean spiral,
Oxidative stress, Perfusion, Space cities, Sports bars, Underwater mining, Whales.
