In a hydrocarbon atmosphere, you can burn oxygen. All our definitions are oriented around our oxygen-based atmosphere. I'm sure we'd call oxygen 'fuel' if we lived in a hydrocarbon atmosphere and oxygen was the scarcer material.

There may be a high correlation between torture and confession, but (invoke meme that needs to die): "Correlation is not causation."

Strange, I read the whole LOTR as a child without noticing this problem. But I also enjoyed the Frank Herbert Dune series where you'd spend pages and pages on the detailed internal thought processes of the participants of a delicate negotiation or a crucial battle. It definitely improved my reading speed, as I wanted to know what was going to happen!

Yes, I think open-source it, make it clear that they don't own it, and make an agreement with them that any further work you do on it in company time is also open-sourced.

Anyway, never mind what they might or might not benefit from it, the most important thing is how YOU are benefitting from it.

My approach is to put in my best, even if I am underpaid, because pushing your own limits, you increase your own capabilities. Compare this to some slacker who puts in the minimum and never improves. So having increased your own capabilities and also accumulated a load more selling-points on your CV, you're in a much better position to get a better job or to negotiate a better salary.

Correlation does not exclude causation either.

It is a waste product normally thrown away.

Yes, inert gases are the way to go. That would be my choice for suicide. Carbon dioxide is no good because your lungs know that isn't healthy, but there are inert gas mixes that the body doesn't react to. You feel fine, then a little giddy, then you start getting high and hallucinating, then you pass out. If oxygen isn't provided, you'll be dead in a few minutes. There was a programme on UK TV about this -- I can't remember who by, though -- some politician.