New research predicts Earth will lose its oxygen-rich atmosphere in about a billion years due to the Sun’s rising brightness. This change will drastically alter life conditions, making Earth uninhabitable for complex organisms. The study also challenges long-held beliefs about oxygen being a reliable sign of life on other planets.

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• Oxygen levels may crash in ~1 billion years
• Caused by Sun’s increasing brightness
• Brighter Sun breaks down CO2 in atmosphere
• Less CO2 means reduced photosynthesis
• Rapid oxygen drop could begin in ~10,000 years
• Complex life, including humans, won’t survive
• Ozone layer would collapse, UV protection lost
• Methane levels rise, atmosphere becomes toxic
• Anaerobic microbes may dominate again
• Calls for broader life-search criteria beyond oxygen