We're all stardust
A long, long time ago in a conservatory far, far away, young PJM was on the receiving end of the following ganja fuelled explaination of the universe from an astrophysics studying friend:

"There is the theory that all matter in the universe was created in the "Big Bang", which mainly consisted of matter in its most basic form.

As this matter - duly obeying the laws of gravity - began to attract like minded matter, which coalesced into denser patches of matter similar to what we would today call "nebulae".

Over the billions of years, the first generation nebulae condensed into stars, gigantic nuclear fusion reactors which basically convert Hydrogen gas into Helium and other elements. Once these stars exhausted their hydrogen and either became supernovae or simply died, the resulting heavier elements were discharged into the universe prior to coalescing again into new stars and planets. Ad infinitum for 15-25bn years.

All of the various exotic atoms which make up your body were once part of an exploding star. Makes you think doesn't it?"

Like, er, wow and far out man.

That whining old slappy Moby might have been right all along with "Stars".

*scuttles off to drink coffee and think about kittens*
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Mon 3 Mar 2008, 15:43, Reply)