Nucleosynthesis

One night this week over my sixth or seventh slice of pie (happy pi day) one of my friends asked me about some of the heavier elements in the periodic table---just a typical party conversation. Which led to a lively discussion of science topics. Some of the things I told her were true; mostly I make stuff up. Here's something true though, and as true as it is cool.

Inside a star when atoms get moving, I mean REALLY moving they can smash into each other with such incredible force that they create a new kind of atom, a bigger one with a bigger nucleus. And here's another cool thing: Even bigger atoms form when stars explode. The coolest thing of all is that every atom inside of that pie I was eating from the glucose molecule to the long-chain carboxylic acids in the flakey crust (fancy science words for sugar and butter; and kids, there was quite a lot of both in that pie) were formed INSIDE A STAR OR A SUPERNOVA! Oh man, it's incredible. I love pie.

I found this video recently, I'm mostly posting it for my youngest brothers who both have big crushes on Neil DeGrasse Tyson. As a long time fan myself, it warms my heart a little to share this with them. Watching things we love together reminds me of those Saturday mornings years ago when the three of us would watch cartoons together. I was 17, they were 9 and 6. I don't know why out of all the sound asleep teenagers in the house, they used to come wake me up or why I even got out of bed, but they carefully explained the characters and the back story of the X-men to their inadequately educated older sister as we huddled under blankets and ate bowls of cereal. Thanks to them I rediscovered the delight that is only found in eating bowls of cocoroos in front of the TV. And thanks to me they discovered science, Weezer, and Death Cab for Cutie.

But now we've moved past the cartoons and there's some amazing stuff out there. So get yourself a bowl of cocoroos, enjoy the show, and call my brothers if you feel inadequately educated and need an explanation or a back story.