We Are Dead Stars | Michelle Thaller | TEDxBaltimore
TEDx Talks・11 minutes read
An astrophysicist shares a profound story about the vastness of galaxies and the interconnectedness of humans to the universe, emphasizing that our bodies are made of atoms forged in stars, making us a part of the galaxy and a cosmic miracle. Looking billions of light-years away allows us to see the early universe with only hydrogen gas, witnessing the life cycle of stars, from creation in star-forming clouds to eventual death and redistribution of material back into space, leading to the formation of new stars and planets like Earth.
Insights
- Stars, through their life cycles and eventual deaths, contribute to the creation of atoms beyond hydrogen and helium, shaping the universe's composition and diversity.
- Humans, composed of atoms originating from stars, are intrinsically linked to the cosmos, highlighting a profound connection between the universe's vastness and the intricacies of life on Earth.
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Recent questions
What is a light-year?
A light-year is a unit of distance, not time, representing the distance light travels in a year.
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Summary
00:00
"Stars, Galaxies, and Our Cosmic Connection"
- The speaker, an astrophysicist, shares a true story that has deeply impacted their view of the universe and life.
- Galaxies, like the one shown in a NASA image, are vast, with this particular one containing about 500 billion stars and spanning 100,000 light-years.
- A light-year is a unit of distance, not time, representing the distance light travels in a year.
- The Andromeda Galaxy, visible in the night sky, is 2 million light-years away, meaning the light reaching us tonight left Andromeda 2 million years ago.
- Looking billions of light-years away allows us to see the universe as it was billions of years ago, with no galaxies, stars, or planets, only hydrogen gas.
- Stars, like the Sun, are giant balls of hydrogen gas where nuclear fusion reactions create energy and all atoms in the universe, besides hydrogen and helium.
- Stars eventually die, some gently unraveling back into space, while others explode violently in supernova explosions, creating atoms larger than iron.
- Dead stars distribute their material back into space, forming clouds that, under gravity's influence, clump together to create new stars.
- These star-forming clouds eventually give birth to planets, like Earth, where stable orbits allow for the formation of solar systems.
- The speaker emphasizes that humans are connected to the universe, as our bodies are made of atoms forged inside stars, making us a part of the galaxy and a miracle of cosmic proportions.
