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Chemistry (including Biochemistry)/Molecule of Caesar' breath
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Hi,
For decades I've heard that every time you breath in, you breath in a molecule exhaled by Caesar as he was being assassinated. Such is the power of atmospheric mixing.
It just struck me: don't we breath in oxygen and breath out CARBON DIOXIDE? If so, then how can we breathe in a molecule of oxygen that Caesar exhaled?
Many thanks,
Steve
It does take a bit of faith and science. The O2 Caesar breathed would be expelled as CO2, converted by plants back to O2, etc throughout time. There is nothing that says the O2 hasn't been through a few natural cycles to get to you. You can also invoke the fact that his exhaled air has some O2 in it, the lungs are not 100% efficient, so you don't need the natural cycle argument.
The more popular way to state this is that you breath Caesar's exhaled "air", which doesn't need the natural cycles to explain. See this link.
http://www.henk-reints.nl/caesar.htm
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| Comment | Many thanks. Very helpful. My guess is that what was meant was not molecules, but atoms. Thus, whenever you breath you take in an *atom* that Caesar exhaled. Best, Steve | ||
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Dr. Henry Boyter, Jr.
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Chemistry (non-biochemistry), environmental science, occupational health and safety, environmental regulation and management, environmental engineering, and wastewater engineering. I'm the Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety and the Director of Research at the Institute of Textile Technology.
Experience
Chemistry (non-biochemistry), environmental science, occupational health and safety, environmental regulation and management, environmental engineering, and wastewater engineering. I'm the Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety and the Director of Research at the Institute of Textile Technology.
Education/Credentials
PhD, MS, BS in Chemistry
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