What is meant by, “We are made of stardust?”?

Answer 1

An excellent question, with a somewhat simple answer. If you acknowledge that our bodies are formed physically from the elements available in nature (through the nutrients we obtain from food), then you must know that our bodies contain elements heavier than iron.

Iron, however, is the roadblock in fusion, the process that powers the stars. You see, once a star depletes it's stores of hydrogen, it begins to fuse helium, and once it fuses all the helium, it fuses heavier and heavier elements, each one of which releases more energy than it takes to fuse them. That is, until iron is the product of fusion. Heavier elements than iron take more energy to fuse than they release, so the star begins to lose energy, collapses, and "goes supernova".

So, how are the heavier elements formed? Well, in Supernovas. When a supernova explodes, an immense amount of energy is released, and that energy is what forms elements heavier than iron.

So, since we live on Earth, and because Earth was formed out of elements that were present in the pre-sun nebula (from which the sun formed), and since the elements in that nebula included some heavier than iron, it follows that the pre-sun nebula included "stardust" from stars other than the sun. And, because our bodies formed from elements in that solar nebula, we, too, include elements from that solar nebula, which came from other stars. So, We Are Stardust...say, that would make a good line in a song!

Answer 2

I have found most British people to be quite polite and rather fun. I am an American, the son of a Scotsman, and if there was ever a people to dislike the Brits, it should either be a Scot or an Irishman. Growing up, I spent at least one day per week playing soccer with foreigners, as it was not a well known game back then. The differences in our cultures explain much of how we perceive them as such, but when you get to know the people, you will find they are truly a fun loving bunch and make as much fun of themselves as the do others. It is almost a British comical cultural thing. They make fun of each others' favorite teams, much as we do, but their style of humor comes across a little "off" by our standards. So, just try to realize our cultural differences are what makes us see them as the "high and mighty, self-righteous assholes", (that and the fact that we beat them for our independence and many are still bitter about that.)

Answer 3

All the elements in the universe (except hydrogen and a small bit of helium) were formed inside of stars through nuclear fusion or in supernova explosions (massive stellar deaths). So every non-hydrogen element in your body (like carbon, oxygen, etc) was formed inside of a star. You are made out of the stuff of stars.

Answer 4

All in the universe is made of the same elements, including us. Just different combinations of each one.

Answer 5

when massive stars explode, they contain heavy elements as stated above, and the explosion spreads these heavy elements far and wide. also the explosion may trigger the collapse of nearby gas clouds, resulting in the formation of more stars, enriched with heavy elements. also planets are more likely to form with stars when there are more heavy elements present - most planets (even the gas giants) probably have rocky cores.

Answer 6

'From dust to dust' is actually from Stardust to Stardust!

Answer 7

Sounds like someone who believes in the big bang and evolution story for creation.