This is a fascinating video - from the Big Bang to Homo Sapiens in ten minutes. The Big Bang produced mainly hydrogen, along with some helium and lithium. These are the three lightest elements. Most helium, lithium and all the heavier natural elements are produced within the thermonuclear furnaces of stars. Up until iron, all these reactions are exothermic, that is they release energy. When the stars start producing iron the reaction consumes energy and the stars collapse. Very large stars then go supernova and, in the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson, spill their enriched guts into the cosmos. In the process, iron and all the heavier elements are created. In the video you can see how the first generation stars produce all the lighter elements until they get to iron. Then they explode. Watch as the list of elements in the star goes from hydrogen (H) to helium (He) and on up to iron (Fe). Then BOOM! Then it shows the evolution of our solar system from all the debris from the supernova(s), the beginning of life on earth, and eventually the evolution of Homo Sapiens. Like I said, a fascinating video. youtube/watch?v=wXLfbfsidp4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 01:20:55 +0000