You are stardust

By Ben (Discover English Teacher)

The universe started with the Big Bang that scientists think happened about 15 billion years ago. In the beginning there was a huge explosion and an enormous amount of heat. None of the chemical elements that your body is made up of existed.

Eventually, as things cooled down a bit the element of hydrogen formed. This is the simplest of the chemical elements. Hydrogen burned in the first stars. In some stars, chemical reactions happened which joined two hydrogen molecules together into helium, which is the second simplest element.

Many early stars burned helium. By chance, and as a result of the laws of physics, as helium stars run out of fuel, chemical reactions occur that create the other elements that make life possible, like carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. Finally, when the star dies the new elements explode out into space. It takes three star lifetimes for this to happen, which takes 10 to 12 billion years.

Scientists estimate that it has taken around 4 billion years for human life to evolve on Earth. That is why the universe is already 15 billion years old. Your body is made up of the material created in the furnace of long dead stars.

Your body literally contains the dust of stars. You are an amazing creation of the universe!