We Have Existed for Billions of Years

Please start here, at the beginning of the universe.

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I am beryllium (Be) with atomic number 4.

I wasn't around at the beginning of the universe.

Only three chemical elements existed in the early universe: hydrogen, helium, and lithium.

I am a solid metal at room temperature, stronger than steel and lighter than aluminium, but harmful to humans if inhaled.

Beryllium is rare in the universe, making up a small fraction of 1%.

There were no stars in the early universe; millions of years after the Big Bang, hydrogen and helium came together in massive clouds, forming the first stars.

Some massive stars come to a violent end in supernova explosions; this is where the conditions were right for the manufacture of beryllium.

Because of its strength, lightness, and resistance to extreme temperatures, beryllium was chosen to construct the primary mirror on the James Webb Space Telescope.

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I am boron (B) with atomic number 5.

Regarding mass, how abundant am I in the universe? The answer is 0.0001% or one ten-thousandth of 1%.

I wasn't created in stars but in high-speed cosmic ray collisions. Nuclei can be fragmented through spallation, and the outcome can be elements such as me.

At room temperature, I am a solid.

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles travelling through space.

A boron atom contains 5 protons, 6 neutrons, and 5 electrons.

Boron is an important structural component of plants. It is required for plant growth, seed formation, and pollination.

Without plants, we would not exist. Although boron is scarce in the universe, its importance on Earth cannot be underrated.

Boron is used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics, fertiliser, detergents, and bleaches.

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I am carbon (C) with atomic number 6.

Among all the chemical elements, I consider myself very important.

I am composed of 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons.

I exist in three allotropic forms: graphite, diamond, and fullerene, and my state at room temperature is solid.

Carbon is made in nuclear fusion reactors that we call stars.

There is a big difference between the soft graphite in your pencil and the hard diamonds in your jewellery, but they're still carbon.

So why is carbon so important?

Without this special chemical element, no life on Earth would exist. This is partly due to carbon's ability to bond with other atoms.

Strong carbon fibre is lightweight and used in many products, including fishing rods, tennis rackets, aircraft, and space rockets.

Industrial diamonds are widely used for cutting rock.

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I am nitrogen (N) with atomic number 7

I contribute up to 78% of the earth's atmosphere; the rest is mostly oxygen.

I am a colourless, odourless gas that contains 7 protons, 7 neutrons, and 7 electrons. My state at room temperature is gas.

The process of nucleosynthesis in stars is the reason I exist.

All living things depend on me to build proteins and other body chemicals. Animals, plants, and fungi cannot get nitrogen from the atmosphere; they get it from the soil.

The atmosphere is a thin layer in comparison to the size of the Earth, but it still holds 4,000 trillion tons of nitrogen.

Nitrogen is also important to the chemical industry. It can be used to make dyes, nylon, fertilizers, and explosives, to name a few.

The end.

To be continued, all the way up the periodic table.

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We can only imagine what our early ancestors were thinking as they gazed up at the night sky—were they curious about what the heavens had to hide?

Now it is very different, as we have developed sophisticated telescopes and other specialised scientific instruments that are helping to reveal some of the secrets the universe holds.

You may find my easy-to-understand stories about the universe and life interesting and educational.

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