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The Highlights (Lesson 1)
When the Siberian chemist, Mendeleev, conceived The Periodic Table of Elements around 1870, he catalogued atoms according to the number of protons in each nucleus and grouped the elements by chemical properties. This was a huge achievement. It has been the basis for the science of chemistry ever since. Today, however, we have an opportunity to construct another version of the Periodic Table of Elements — one that can highlight where each element arose.
Learning The Story of Stardust ("stellar nucleosynthesis") can elicit awe and wonder in a number of ways. Before moving into more detailed explanations of astronomy and chemistry from which the story is drawn, here in brief are the points that elicit the most "Wow" responses:
Almost all the atoms of HYDROGEN within water, within our bodies, and everywhere else on and within Earth are more than 13 billion years old. If many of the atoms within us are 13 billion years old, and as "we" are our bodies, not just our minds, then, in a way, WE TOO ARE 13 BILLION YEARS OLD. Almost all of the HELIUM was formed at the birth of the Universe by the fusion of hydrogen and the free neutrons. ALL THE OTHER CHEMICAL ELEMENTS were forged from the primordial hydrogen and helium by nuclear fusion inside of stars that flared forth and died before our Sun was born. We are made of STARDUST — recycled stardust! We are star stuff, PONDERING the stars. Humans are star stuff evolved to the point that it can begin to know and marvel at its own magnificent STORY. Our ANCESTORS include ancient stars. Stars are part of our GENEALOGY. HELIUM is the only chemical element within Earth that was created right here (from decay of radioactive elements). OUR SUN, when it is dying, will contribute CARBON back into the galaxy — perhaps for future generations of living planets to make use of. Most of the NITROGEN cycling within the Earth system was forged in the bellies of RED GIANT STARS.
