Cosmic Origins
Astronomical Alchemy: The Origin of the Elements by Dr. Philip Pinto. One of the greatest achievements of twentieth-century science is an understanding of the origin of matter. While hydrogen and helium were produced in the Big Bang, the origin of the heavier elements - the silicon in rocks, the iron in our blood, and the oxygen we breathe - lies in the lifecycle of stars. Nuclear reactions, which transform light elements into heavier ones,
cause stars to shine and ultimately to explode, seeding the universe with their production. These newly formed elements, the building blocks of ordinary matter, play a central role in the formation of planets and the evolution of life.
Dr. Philip A. Pinto, Associate Professor, Astronomy/Steward Observatory, University of Arizona.
| Astronomical Alchemy: The Origin of the Elements |
| Related Links |
| Astrochemistry: Putting the Astro in Astrobiology This talk will focus on astrochemistry - the starting point of astrobiology - the chemical evolution that takes place in space where simple molecules are transformed into complex molecules and complex molecules are broken down to simple ones. |
| Life in the Universe This course provides an overview of the scientific quest to discover life elsewhere in the universe. |
| Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life In this course we will explore what we know about life's ability to live in extreme environments on the Earth, we will look at different hypotheses for how it originated. |
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