So Where You From?

Cosmology
Astronomy
STEM
Edward Hessler

Jennifer Johnson opens her post on Science Blog from the SDSS (Sloan Digital Sky Survey) with an iconic quote from Carl Sagan. The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.

Johnson points out that there is more to us than collapsing stars. The cast of characters includes "merging stars, burping stars, exploding stars and the start of the Universe itself."

Johnson discusses the latest version of a periodic table of the elements color-coded by the origin of elements in the Solar System.

It represents a start on the question used in the title of this post. Later versions will be more differentiated, for example, the origin of the elements on the Earth.

It is difficult to imagine the work involved by many researchers as well as Johnson's work in synthesizing this information. What a treat, particularly since she includes the original drawing done with markers. Johnson plans to include sources and assumptions in a later post. Additionally, she discusses the difference between her table and the one found on Wickipedia.