> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.cascadepbs.org/llms.txt
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# Will Earth Run Out of Oxygen
- URL: https://www.cascadepbs.org/show/its-okay-be-smart/episode/will-earth-run-out-of-oxygen-9fur18/
- Published: 2025-04-30T15:00:56.000Z
- Updated: 2025-08-20T09:56:04.000Z
- Description: The key enzyme behind photosynthesis isn’t actually all that great at its job.
- Author: Cascade PBS Staff
- Tags: Be Smart, Season 13, Episode 4, #ZZZ_Episode_05a8b4eb-b3f5-458b-a3ab-2651bbceb1f0, #episode, #ZZZ_Show_dc38a6e9-266e-43c1-b647-45e7445fad27, #v1.16

Plants eat sunlight and air to make life. But the key enzyme behind it all, called RuBisCO, isn’t actually all that great at its job. Let’s talk about how photosynthesis really works, why oxygen isn’t coming from where you think, and whether we can fix the biggest flaw in one of Earth’s most essential processes.