Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» Anyone ever tell you you're made of STAR STUFF? Physicist Carl Sagan said so long ago on his Cosmos show. Do you believe him?
Yes - though it's a very long chain of events and processes in between.
More prosaically, the only process that can create chemical elements is nuclear fusion, which is how stars operate. When stars are "born" they are huge balls of hydrogen, and during their lives they turn that in helium. As the star ages (astronomers do anthropomorphise stars' lives a bit) it runs out of useable hydrogen and fuses the helium atoms into the next element down the Periodic Table, and so on.
The size and mass of stars sets limits on how far that chain can go, and what happens at the end. Modest stars like our Sun die relatively quietly by expanding and sloughing vast volumes of this newly-created matter into Space - though incinerating any planets engulfed by the growing ball of hot gas. Very large stars though, are though to collapse so violently that they create all the heavier elements too, then rebound and hurl them into Space in gigantic "supernovae" explosions.
These elements and any chemical compounds formed between them, drift in Space as extremely diffuse gas and dust. If enough of this material comes within gravitational range of some young star, it seems it falls into orbit around the star. Given enough volume and variety, the elements and compounds can eventually agglomerate into planets which may in turn accumulate enough left-over material falling onto their surfaces, to form seas, atmospheres, dust layers.... and given the right conditions, maybe eventually even life.
So, yes, we are all "star dust", but via very long times, complex processes and considerable chance.
The corollary is that most of the chemical elements on Earth have been here since the planet formed, though with a good deal added by meteorites and the odd comet falling onto Earth. (Comets may have been one source of our water.) So although elements can form compounds, they are still those elements at atomic level, and are simply re-circulated by natural processes for ever more, or at least as long as the planet itself lasts.
This will sound kinda silly but I just "tingle" when I try to comprehend how we homo saps got here. It just is the most mindboggling thing I've ever tried to understand. I never really will but we're here so I guess that's proof right? Je pense donc je suit. Cogito ergo sum. But still what is more miraculous Durdle than us? I guess that's why quantum physics is so exciting to me even though I don't understand it that well. It's he best mystery I've ever read. Our being here. Thank you for your thoughtul and informative reply. Are you as amazed as I am? I shall ask. :)
It was an extremely long set of slow processes between the forming of the elements now here on Earth, and us being able to borrow small quantities of them for just several decades each; but to me the vast time- and energy- scales, and the tortuous path and matters of chance through them, are all part of the grandeur and beauty of the whole thing.
So you totally get where I'm coming from. Whether you believe that a Supreme Being set it all in motion or not doesn't really matter. The fact here we are. However we got here I wonder where we are going? I also wonder ff we all have a purpose or are we just random? I'll ask. Also if we have a purpose how do we ever figger out what it is? Thank you for your thoughtful reply Durdle and Happy Tuesday. :)
It’s true that we’re made up of the same mater that makes up the universe (it’d be rather strange if we weren’t). However, unlike Sagan, I don’t believe it simply “happened” over millions of years.
When my son was 12 (he will be 55 next February) he fell in love with Carl Sagan. So did I. We were mesmerized by the TV show and bought the book COSMOS and both read it. At that age my son wanted to become a physicist like Sagan and told me he'd like to attend Cornell like Sagan. When Carl Sagan looked into the camera "you are made of star stuff" it was thrilling. I wish they'd rerun the show. Thank you for your reply Shuhak. Think I'll ask if others would like to see it again?
Durdle 