I wanted to thank you for starting the tread on GLP, of Blue balls on Mars, it is the most fun , and best thread ever on GLP for me.I tremendously enjoyed everyones contributions, and unity in finding the truth.I hope you keep cyberspace going , I just went thru the site tonite and found lots of great new things like the Rock carvings of Idaho, Minbaris links, the pond in Malins files found by storm , etc.

On the power blackouts, when I was traveling thru Montana a couple of weeks ago -the 16th -17th, Missoula had power blackouts 2 early evenings in a row, gas stations could not pump gas, downtown street traffic lights went out...Noone knew what was up.

Hydrogen Peroxide is created in the atmosphere when ultraviolet light strikes oxygen in the presence of moisture. Ozone (03) is free oxygen (02) plus an extra atom of oxygen. When it comes into contact with water, this extra atom of oxygen splits off very easily. Water (H20) combines with the extra atom of oxygen and becomes hydrogen peroxide ( H2O2).

A: How does hydrogen peroxide "know"? It doesnâ€™t. The driving force is not the chemical but rather living cells. Most cells (like blood in a cut) cause hydrogen peroxide to change into water and oxygen gas, which, in turn, bubbles and fizzes. However, cells must produce a catalyst to force hydrogen peroxide to change. Some cells can manufacture the catalyst and some canâ€™t.

Living cells as different as oysters and oak can produce the catalyst. However, lactic acid bacteria (found now in dairy products like yogurt) or the bacteria causing botulism or gangrene cannot. Also, nonliving objects such as dirt or oil cannot manufacture the catalyst ***(called catalase).

***Most cells learned to make catalase to solve a vicious problem. When cells metabolize food in the presence of oxygen, most produce hydrogen peroxide as a side product. Hydrogen peroxide kills cells. The dilemma: cells must extract energy from food to live. But the process can produce a poison that kills them. The solution: manufacture a rescue catalyst that changes hydrogen peroxide to harmless water and oxygen and make that reaction happen: fast!

Therein lies a tale. When Earth was young and lacked oxygen â€” a couple of billion years ago â€” simple lactic acid bacteria probably developed first. These bacteria do not use an oxygen-rich atmosphere to metabolize food (there wasnâ€™t any oxygen) and therefore donâ€™t produce hydrogen peroxide. They ducked the problem. Pour hydrogen peroxide on crushed cheese or yogurt and it wonâ€™t fizz. They never learned to make the rescue catalyst because they didnâ€™t produce the poison.

Later, but still eons ago, "strict anaerobes", such as the bacteria that cause botulism and gangrene, developed when Earthâ€™s atmosphere still had no oxygen. Then, they were OK since hydrogen peroxide is an oxygen compound and canâ€™t form without oxygen. Now, these bacteria exist in extreme danger. You see, the anaerobe bacteria do generate hydrogen peroxide when they metabolize food but they donâ€™t make the rescue catalyst. Now, strict anaerobes can live only in an airless environment like deep wounds and airtight containers.

Finally, Earthâ€™s atmosphere became oxygen rich. Disaster! Peroxide killed cells as the cells converted food to energy and produced hydrogen peroxide.
*** Cells solved the problem by contriving catalase. Almost all advanced organisms since make catalase and convert hydrogen peroxide to fizzy oxygen and water. Pour peroxide on crushed fruit or leaves, wait a few minutes, and watch the bubbles.

By the way, white blood cells engulf germs and then kill the germs by bathing them in poison â€” hydrogen peroxide. (Related: video images showing how white blood cells kill bacteria with H2O2)