The knowledge that the atoms that comprise life on earth - the atoms that make up the human body, are traceable to the crucibles that cooked light elements into heavy elements in their core under extreme temperatures and pressures. These stars- the high mass ones among them- went unstable in their later years- they collapsed and then exploded- scattering their enriched guts across the galaxy- guts made of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and all the fundamental ingredients of life itself. These ingredients become part of gas clouds that condense, collapse, form the next generation of solar systems- stars with orbiting planets. And those planets now have the ingredients for life itself. So that when I look up at the night sky, and I know that yes we are part of this universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up- many people feel small, cause their small and the universe is big. But I feel big because my atoms came from those stars. . Neil Degrasse Tyson
About This Quote

If you find yourself feeling small, think about how big the universe is. If you are thinking small, you are very likely living in a human body. If you are thinking small, you are made up of the same atoms that the dinosaurs lived in. The Earth’s atmosphere consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% argon.

All of these chemicals were created in the cores of stars. The enormous expanses of space that exist in our universe were formed by explosions that occurred billions of years ago.

Some Similar Quotes
  1. Knowledge, like air, is vital to life. Like air, no one should be denied it. - Alan Moore
  2. Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. - Will Durant
  3. I definitely learned a lesson this time. I know that I can be broken. I am not as tough as I thought. I see it now. At this point, it's the only thing good that came out of all of this. I know myself better... - Henry Rollins
  4. How little we know of what there is to know. I wish that I were going to live a long time instead of going to die today because I have learned much about life in these four days; more, I think than in all other... - Ernest Hemingway
  5. I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think - Socrates
More Quotes By Neil Degrasse Tyson
  1. The most worth-while thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others.
  2. Development of outlook naturally begins with a respect for God... Reverence to God and reverence for one's neighbor and reverence for oneself as a servant of God.
  3. Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy...
  4. Happiness doesn't come from being rich, nor merely from being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy so that you can be useful and so you can enjoy life...
  5. It always seems to me so odd that when a man dies, he takes out with him all the knowledge that he has got in his lifetime whilst sowing his wild oats or winning successes. And he leaves his sons or younger brothers to go...
Related Topics