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by Liquix 499 days ago
easy solution: fill yourself with oil before diving. checkmate, nation-state navies
2 comments

As depicted in the move "The Abyss". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_breathing
Also the aliens in the Sylvia & Gerry Anderson TV series "UFO".
I've read that it's possible to breathe oxygenated liquid perfluorocarbons, but something about the idea is just terrifying to me. I think it's the "fluoro" bit specifically that scares me, even moreso than the "liquid" part.
Humans can't really "breathe" oxygenated liquid. Our diaphragms aren't strong enough to move sufficient liquid in and out of the lungs, so it can only work with external mechanical ventilation. This is occasionally used as a salvage therapy for patients hospitalized in critical care but is totally impractical and unsafe for any sort of diving.

In the real world outside of sci-fi movies, any human diving much deeper than about 0.5km will have to be done in an an atmospheric diving suit.

Based on a video of a mouse I saw, I'd describe perfluorocarbon breathing more as you can drown in it and not die.. it definitely did not look pleasant.