The Most Astounding Fact

Neil DeGrasse Tyson - Astrophysicist was asked by a reader of Time Magazine what he had found to be the most astounding fact about the universe . He responded :
" The most astounding fact is 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 when unstable in their later years , collapsed and exploded , scattering their enriched guts across the galaxy. Guts made of carbon , nitrogen , oxygen and all the fundamental ingredients of life itself.These ingredients became part of gas clouds that condensed and collapsed , forming the next generation of solar systems - stars with orbiting planets and the planets now have the ingredients for life. So when I look up at the night sky I know that , yes , we are part of this universe. We are in the universe . But perhaps , more important , that the universe is in us . When I reflect on the fact , I look up - many people feel small , because the universe is big. But I feel big because my atoms come from those stars . There is a level of connectivity . That's really what you want in life . You want to feel connected , want to feel relevant , want to feel like a participant in the goings on and the activities around you. Thats precisely what we are just by being alive."