8 years ago
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The Only Three Heavy Elements In The Universe That Aren't Made In Stars
Immediately after the Big Bang, before the first stars in the Universe ever formed, the Universe consisted of hydrogen (element #1), helium (element #2), and pretty much nothing else. Despite originating from an incredibly hot, dense state, arbitrarily heavy elements weren't created early on the same way they're made today in stars.
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http://www.forbes.com
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Since the article takes a long time to get to a simple point:
The three elements are lithium, beryllium, and boron. They cannot be formed from hydrogen and helium combinations (as carbon can) because the resulting isotopes are unstable. However, cosmic rays from "black holes, neutron stars, supernovae, and active galaxies" are very high energy and can split heavier elements into these three in a process called spallation.
Had no idea! So happy that I know this now. I'm just getting into physics and I'm so interested in learning these random facts.