AaS! 212: Where Do All the Elements Come From?
Ask a Spaceman!
Paul M. Sutter
4.8 • 853 Ratings
🗓️ 21 November 2023
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What processes create all the elements? Why are some elements more common than others? How does fusion happen inside and outside of a star? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/spaceman and get on your way to being your best self. Visit BetterHelp to get 10% off your first month!
Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter
All episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com
Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PaulMattSutter
Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PaulMattSutter
Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PaulMSutter
Read a book: http://www.pmsutter/book
Keep those questions about space, science, astronomy, astrophysics, physics, and cosmology coming to #AskASpaceman for COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF TIME AND SPACE!
Big thanks to my top Patreon supporters this month: Justin G, Chris L, Barbara K, Duncan M, Corey D, Justin Z, Naila, Scott M, Rob H, Justin, Louis M, John W, Alexis, Gilbert M, Joshua, John S, Thomas D, Simon G, Erin J, Valerie H, David B, Tim R, Tom Van S, Mark R, Alan B, Craig B, Richard K, Dave L, Stephen M, Maureen R, Stace J, Neil P, COTFM, Stephen S, Ken L, Alberto M, Matt C, Joe R, David P, Ulfert B, Sean M, Edward K, Tracy F, Sarah K, Steven S, Ryan L, Ella F, Richard S, Sam R, Thomas K, James C, Jorg D, R Larche, Syamkumar M, John S, Fred S, Homer V, Mark D, Colin B, Bruce A, Steven M, Brent B, Bill E, Tim Z, Thomas W, Linda C, David W, Aissa F, Marc H, Avery P, Scott M, Thomas H, Farshad A, Matthias S, Kenneth D, Maureen R, Michael W, Scott W, David W, Neuterdude, Cha0sKami, Robert C, Robert B, Gary K, Stephen J, dhr18, Anna V, Matthew G, Paul & Giulia S, Steven M, Louis M, Michael C, Alyssa K, Lode D, Roger, Bob C, Patti H, Red B, Benjamin M, BlueDragon, Stephen A, Ian S, James R, Skip M, Robert O, Adam I, Lynn D, Jeffrey C, Allen E, Paul G, Michael S, Jordan, Colin H, Jessica M, Thomas H, Reinaldo A, Amy Z, Adam I, Sheryl, Skip M, David W, Denis, Sue T, Jonathan S, Chris, and Josephine K!
Thanks to Cathy Rinella for editing.
Hosted by Paul M. Sutter.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | I'm a big fan of creation stories. |
| 0:11.7 | Myths, legends, the works. |
| 0:13.9 | I remember this distinct phase in late middle school, early high school, so we're talking |
| 0:18.2 | early teenage years, when I became obsessed with mythology. |
| 0:22.6 | I would check out every single book in my school library, and when that wasn't enough, I went to my |
| 0:27.9 | local library. Now, considering that I was growing up in a small town in Ohio, I wasn't exactly |
| 0:33.1 | exposed to the wide variety of humanity's various creation stories, so I had my pick from Greek |
| 0:38.9 | mythology to some more Greek mythology, and that was about it. But since then, if you've got a |
| 0:45.1 | creation story for me, I'm all years. And so perhaps upon reflection, I shouldn't be so surprised |
| 0:52.4 | that I became a cosmologist. And yes, I do believe that physical cosmology, |
| 0:58.8 | especially the Big Bang Theory, is a creation story. Yeah, I believe that it's one rooted in evidence |
| 1:05.1 | and rationality and skepticism, aka the scientific method. But all that doesn't make it not a story. It's just a different |
| 1:13.6 | kind of story. And dang it, it's a good one. And let me show you an example of how the Big Bang |
| 1:21.3 | is a creation story and can work as a creation story because your typical creation story has a |
| 1:27.4 | major components. |
| 1:29.1 | The first component is, well, the creation. How things started. How what is came to be. |
| 1:37.2 | Some stories lean on this part pretty hard, like the opening pages of Genesis, while other |
| 1:42.0 | stories breeze by this on their way to more interesting |
| 1:45.0 | bits, especially cosmological stories and mythologies where the universe has always existed. |
| 1:50.6 | And they just say, oh, yeah, yeah, the universe exists, and now we're going to get to the |
| 1:54.1 | interesting parts. You know, not all creation stories address it in depth, but they always |
| 1:59.2 | discuss the beginning or the creation or the bare fact |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in -450 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Paul M. Sutter, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Paul M. Sutter and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.