Stars forge and deliver the elements that make up your body — and scientists may finally know how

Researchers are making significant strides in unraveling the complex processes by which stars create the chemical elements essential for life as we know it. Scientists have been studying stellar evolution and supernovae events to determine precisely how stars synthesize heavier elements within their cores. These nuclear fusion reactions transform hydrogen into helium, but also produce a vast array of other elements through subsequent stages. Supernova explosions then scatter these newly formed elements across interstellar space, seeding galaxies with the building blocks for planetary systems. This understanding is expected to provide crucial insights into our origins and the composition of everything around us.