‘Dark oxygen’ in depths of Pacific Ocean could force rethink about origins of life

Charged metallic lumps found to produce oxygen in total darkness in process akin to how plants use photosynthesis

In the total darkness of the depths of the Pacific Ocean, scientists have discovered oxygen being produced not by living organisms but by strange potato-shaped metallic lumps that give off almost as much electricity as AA batteries.

The surprise finding has many potential implications and could even require rethinking how life first began on Earth, the researchers behind a study said on Monday.