Altitude Compensation

[tom cloud]

>On Thu, 12 Sep 1996, tom cloud wrote:

>> what do i know ??  As I understand:  the ratio of O2 and N2 are
>> the same at any altitude us puny homo saps (I know, speak for my-
>> self) can survive at (oops, poor english).

And on the same day, James Weiler replied:

>Absolutely ! and don't let anyone else tell you any different ! It's the 
>partial presures of each gas constituent that decrease with higher 
>altitude but the ratios of the gases stay the same.  If they were 
>different how would it stay that way over time??  There is a law called 
>Brownian motion that dictates that all molecules will proceed from a 
>place of high concentration to a place of low concentration until they 
>are equally distributed.  This is our atmosphere and it's had lots of 
>time to equilibrate.  

To which, I reply replied

"And I thought Brownian movement was when those little girls are selling
cookies."

tom