Elder JimZim has asked a profound question:
What are we?
His curiosity was peaked by this Joni Mitchell song…
We are stardust
We are golden
And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
We are stardust
Billion year old carbon
We are golden
Caught in the devil's bargain
And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
- Woodstock, by Joni Mitchell
WLBOTT wondered – we’re mostly water; is the hydrogen in our bodies actually from the moment of creation, the Big Bang?
Elder G helps us with our wonder:
Hydrogen and the Big Bang
- Hydrogen atoms are primordial. Nearly all of the hydrogen in your body (and in the oceans, clouds, and stars) was forged during the Big Bang nucleosynthesis about 13.8 billion years ago.
- In those first minutes, the universe cooled just enough for protons and neutrons to combine into the lightest nuclei — mostly hydrogen (about 75% of the baryonic matter), with some helium (~25%) and a trace of lithium.
- That hydrogen has never been “re-forged” in stars; it’s the same stuff, still going strong in your glass of water or your bloodstream.
A Fun Thought
When you sip water, the hydrogen in those H₂O molecules is older than any star, older than galaxies, older even than Earth itself. You’re literally drinking the most ancient matter in the universe. The oxygen, on the other hand, is a different story — it comes from stars.
WLBOTT Dept. of Pendantatry
We love Joni Mitchell, her music, her poetic lyrics. But unfortunately, the WLBOTT DoP is not so easily swayed.
WLBOTT Department of Pedantry (DoP) – the bureaucratic dumping ground for every insufferable nitpicker and hyper-correcting manager.
Their most recent press release:
You are wrong, Joni, you are wrong!
Instead of
We are stardust
Billion year old carbon
We are goldenYour lyrics should have said…
We are stardust
WLBOTT DoP
Multi-billion-year-old carbon (carbon-12 (¹²C), carbon-13 (¹³C 1.1%), and carbon-14 (¹⁴C)), stellar-forged carbon recycled through supernovae
We are golden (trace amounts only)
Let’s define our terms….
A pedantic person is someone who is overly focused on minor details, rules, or trivial facts, often correcting others or displaying their learning in an annoying or ostentatious way. They show excessive concern for formalities and details, to the point of being tedious or nitpicking, and their behavior is typically seen as irritating and condescending rather than helpful.
– Gemini
WLBOTT DoP is Hiring!
Unable to get hired by ICE? Enjoy arguing with strangers since the dial-up days? Can you not rest if someone is factually incorrect? Are you okay with dying alone? You may be DoP material!
Our college recruiting posters….
Mostly Unrelated, Somewhat Sad, but Very Cool
An excellent use of billion year old carbon, oxygen, and Big Bang hydrogen.
The Sad Part
But Sally T. Intern is monitoring the situation:
Let’s end with some beauty – JimZim’s question has sparked some beautiful images by Elder G.
We are stardust
We are golden
And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
