• Charlie Stross@wandering.shop
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    1 year ago

    @gerikson This is a thing divers have known for decades—nitrogen narcosis is a known problem, it’s why they use different breathing gas mixes at depth. NASA verified it too as their early (Mercury/Gemini/Apollo) spacecraft used pure O2 at 0.3 bar pressure (with no nitrogen) to save hull mass. As do current spacesuits (low pressure makes it easier to move/flex in them). It’s not a huge cognitive load at ambient pressure/mix, though—we evolved in it!