--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some molecules - ammonia, carbon dioxide…" description: "\"Some molecules - ammonia, carbon dioxide, water - show up everywhere in the universe, whether life is present or not. But others pop up especially in t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_absence_some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-wa_2880001.png" --- # Some molecules - ammonia, carbon dioxide, water - show up… ![“Some molecules - ammonia, carbon dioxide, water - show up everywhere in the universe, whether life is present or not. But others pop up especially in the presence of life itself. Among the biomarkers in Earth's atmosphere are ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons from aerosol sprays, vapor from…” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_absence_some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-wa_2880001.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_absence_some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-wa_2880001.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_absence_some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-wa_2880001.png) > “Some molecules - ammonia, carbon dioxide, water - show up everywhere in the universe, whether life is present or not. But others pop up especially in the presence of life itself. Among the biomarkers in Earth's atmosphere are ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons from aerosol sprays, vapor from mineral solvents, escaped coolants from refrigerators and air conditioners, and smog from the burning of fossil fuels. No other way to read that list: sure signs of the absence of intelligence.” [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Certain chemicals in the atmosphere signal human activity, unlike universal molecules present everywhere. **In simple terms:** Some chemicals reveal human impact. Key Takeaway Use atmospheric markers to assess technological influence. Themes environment technology anthropocene chemistry civilization Mood analytical thought‑provoking Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - climate policy - environmental education - industrial regulation - research studies Key Concepts anthropogenic pollutants atmospheric monitoring global change Questions to Reflect On - Which pollutants best indicate modern civilization? - How can we differentiate natural from artificial atmospheric signatures? A Different Perspective Some markers may persist long after activity ceases, complicating interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) [Air conditioner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-conditioner/) [Atmosphere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atmosphere/) [Biomarkers Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biomarkers-earth-3986360/) [Burning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burning/) [Carbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon/) [Carbon dioxide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon-dioxide/) [Chlorofluorocarbons Aerosol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chlorofluorocarbons-aerosol-3986362/) [Destroying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroying/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Earth Atmosphere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth-atmosphere-697871/) [Fossil fuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fossil-fuel/) [Fossils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fossils/) [Fuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fuel/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Biomarkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-biomarkers-3986361/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Life itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-itself/) [Lists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lists/) [Minerals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minerals/) [Molecules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/molecules/) [Ozone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ozone/) [Pops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pops/) [Refrigerators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refrigerators/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Smog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smog/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Vapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vapor/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Man must rise above the Earth - to the top of the atmosphere and beyond - for only thus will he fully understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/man-must-rise-above-the-earth-to-the-top-of-the-atmosphere-and-beyond-2/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Above me I saw something I did not believe at first. Well above the haze layer of the earth's atmosphere were additonal faint thin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-simons/above-me-i-saw-something-i-did-not-believe-at-first-well-above-the/) [David G. Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-simons/) > [“The principal energy sources of our present industrial civilization are the so-called fossil fuels. 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The sky is made by life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/thus-99-percent-of-the-earth-s-atmosphere-is-of-biological-origin-the/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We're putting 70 million tonnes of pollution into the atmosphere every day, trapping an enormous amount of extra heat from the sun inside the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/we-re-putting-70-million-tonnes-of-pollution-into-the-atmosphere/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [“The Earth is bathed in a flood of sunlight. A fierce inundation of photons—on average, 342 joules per second per square meter. 4185 joules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-earth-is-bathed-in-a-flood-of-sunlight-a-fierce-inundation-of/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [Between earth and earth's atmosphere, the amount of water remains constant; there is never a drop more, never a drop less. 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In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-caricature-of-science-is-that-we-hold-tight-to-the-theories-we/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I've said multiple times that the world's first trillionaire is going to be the person who exploits the resources of asteroids, the natural resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-ve-said-multiple-times-that-the-world-s-first-trillionaire-is-going/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [ They \[scientists of centuries past\] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. 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It's not something that you can step aside, step over or push out of your way because you were never good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/science-surrounds-you-it-s-not-something-that-you-can-step-aside-step/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The idea that God resides in the unknown is what philosophers call the God of the gaps. And we have this thing called science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-idea-that-god-resides-in-the-unknown-is-what-philosophers-call/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Everybody's got money for vacation time. 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Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some molecules - ammonia, carbon dioxide, water - show up everywhere in the universe, whether life is present or not. But others pop up especially in the presence of life itself. Among the biomarkers in Earth's atmosphere are ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons from aerosol sprays, vapor from mineral solvents, escaped coolants from refrigerators and air conditioners, and smog from the burning of fossil fuels. No other way to read that list: sure signs of the absence of intelligence.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil deGrasse Tyson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-water-show-up-everywhere-in-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-water-show-up-everywhere-in-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_absence_some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-wa_2880001.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_absence_some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-wa_2880001.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_absence_some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-wa_2880001.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some molecules - ammonia, carbon dioxide, water - show up everywhere in the universe, whether life is…” — Neil deGrasse Tyson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Neil deGrasse Tyson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Some molecules - ammonia, carbon dioxide,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-water-show-up-everywhere-in-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/some-molecules-ammonia-carbon-dioxide-water-show-up-everywhere-in-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```