My grandmother died in 2013.
She was a stubborn,China brilliant woman who ardently believed in the value of science. She came of age in Brooklyn, but I knew her as my Nana in Los Angeles who worked with dinosaur bones.
When she died, my grandfather gave me one of Nana's necklaces: A jade stone with a gold chain. I wear it most days.
After today, I will look at that necklace differently.
SEE ALSO: Researchers watched as gold was made millions of light-years from EarthWhile the jade stone on Nana's necklace was forged in the high heat and pressure of the Earth -- an appropriate tribute to Nana's roots as a geologist -- the gold of the necklace she once wore is alien in origin.
A discovery announced Monday and made by thousands of scientists around the world, shows that the gold on Earth was actually created as a byproduct of the cataclysmic collisions of neutron stars -- the city-sized stellar remnants that can contain more mass than the sun.
This means that Earth's gold, silver, platinum, and uranium, among other heavy metals, were likely formed during cosmic crashes of neutron-dense stars that represent the leftovers of supernova explosions.
It's a rare moment when a scientific discovery truly and fundamentally alters the way you think about our world. It's even more unusual when a finding makes you reevaluate your feelings about the jewelry around your neck.
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable And it's not just the necklace.
There are also the atoms of the rose gold ring my now-husband gave me when he asked me to marry him on a cold April day in Brooklyn's Prospect Park in 2015. They, too, were also likely the result of crashing neutron stars in the distant cosmos.
The gold on my finger and around my neck probably started out as the radioactive fallout from some of the most intense explosions in the known universe.
These precious metals, which we mine from the Earth for cell phones, jewelry, and so many other uses, are finite on this planet after being born in the stars.
While these materials were created in the most extreme ways, we use them in the most mundane.
That's perhaps the most apropos truth of all: We use these heavy elements for very human means, from connecting with one another via text or on a phone call, to representing a commitment or memory.
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable The truth is that in some way, every piece of us -- all of our atoms -- were born elsewhere in the universe.
As scientist and science communicator Carl Sagan once said: "The cosmos is also within us. We're made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
This week, I think we're getting to know ourselves pretty well.
Best smartwatch deal: Save $40 on the Fitbit Versa 4
Death’s Traffic Light Blinks Red by Cathy Park Hong
Redux: A World Awash in Truth by The Paris Review
The Sky Above, the Field Below by Hanif Abdurraqib
Philips now allows customers to 3D print replacement parts
The Rager by Benjamin Nugent
Staff Picks: Billboards, Bookstores, and Butler by The Paris Review
What We Aren’t Seeing by Francine Prose
Today's Hurdle hints and answers for April 17, 2025
Six Young Women with Prizewinning Book Collections by The Paris Review
Get a Smart AcousticPlus acoustic electric guitar for $199.99
The Language of Pain by Cristina Rivera Garza
The Art of Distance No. 27 by The Paris Review
How to Read the Air by Anna Badkhen
Perplexity's new Deep Research tool is powered by DeepSeek R1
The Stylish Disaffection of “Divorcing”
Scenes from a Favela by The Paris Review
When Waking Begins by Haytham El Wardany
Researchers map the koala genome in the name of saving the species
The Ghosts of Newspaper Row by Elizabeth Mitchell
The 2016 Oscar Map: Finally, a more diverse field takes shapeLeah Remini's Reddit AMA reveals juicy secrets of ScientologyWill Negan die in Walking Dead Season 7? Don't count on itThese striking photos showcase Australia's unique ecology7 tech gifts for the filthy richThe Sundance Film Festival created an entire section of climate change filmsMassively hyped video games: Expectations vs. realitySerena Williams pens letter on sexism and perseveranceThe Weeknd and Bella Hadid's Victoria's Secret encounter was everythingMoonwalker Buzz Aldrin evacuated from the South PoleTrump will be able to massEverything you need to know about Netflix downloadsJ.R. Smith left basket wide open because he was busy hugging an opponentSteve Aoki and Gerard Way go Rogue in surprise 'Overwatch' charity matchIndia's richest man is offering 4G for free to all his 52 million users for 3 more monthsiHeartRadio's new streaming options let you choose a song, then return to the radioBaby hits the milly rock in the wombBreaking down the 2017 'League of Legends' changes and the reasons behind themBrave bandit makes off with bucket of gold in broad daylightKate Middleton has at least one relatable hobby New Zealand bikers perform Haka dance to honor Christchurch victims How to delete a BeReal post CNN has abandoned its NFT project, and investors are not happy The Google Pixel event: Everything announced at Made by Google 2022 A petition to remain in the EU has gone so viral it crashed a government website Donald Trump is reportedly terrified of self 'The Midnight Club's twist ending explained NFL+ streaming service review: Worth the cost or stick to TV? Meta Connect 2022: A future controlled by hand gestures Tim Cook promotes the new AirPods using the iPad meme he started Meta warns 1 million users of apps used to steal Facebook passwords 'Sirens' review: A feat of Lebanese cinema Good news everyone, Logan Paul doesn't actually think the Earth is flat Lena Headey posts touching Instagram response to Emilia Clarke's essay on health struggles Emilia Clarke details health struggles while filming ‘Game of Thrones’ 'The Midnight Club's Christopher Pike Easter eggs explained Why is Fox News so quiet about Jeanine Pirro's anti The Scantron meme is a clever nod to finals week San Francisco officials propose ban on Juul, e The 8 best new Netflix original movies