Are we from the stars? We are all made up of atoms. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom tells us its name, or element, and there are 92 naturally occurring elements. These elements are arranged in the periodic table in order of increasing number of protons. Many elements of the periodic table are necessary to build a human, and where do these elements come from? Well, while we acquire the elements we need to grow and flourish by eating, what is the source of elements for the plants or even for the soil for that matter? The story of how the elements were made dates back to an age of about a few hundred thousand years after the Big Bang. At these early times the elements of hydrogen and helium formed for the first time (and trace amounts of lithium and beryllium too). While this ‘birthday’ of the creation of the first two elements must have … Continue reading →