Aren’t We All Stars?

Question

B. Haq


Starts With a Bang

The fascinating story about the entire universe begins some 13.8 billion years ago with a big bang. A few millionths of a second after the Big Bang, the very first protons and neutrons of the grand universe take form, and minutes later, they combine into nuclei. The most basic building blocks of everything, from tiny microorganisms to gigantic galaxies, were officially created in those first few moments.

Cosmic dust of the Andromeda Galaxy seen in infrared light

Fast forward to a few hundred thousand years, and these rudimentary particles fuse together to form the first atoms of hydrogen and helium – the most abundant elements in the universe.

Gravity to the Rescue
Still, the universe in its infancy is unable to provide the ingredients necessary for life to take form. To add to the complexity, those precious atoms face the peril of disintegrating into the void. Luckily, by now, they are feeling the influence of gravity to bring them safely together.

Over a period of hundreds of thousands of years, gravity shapes dense regions. As lumps of gases draw together, they form massive discs swirling in the dark space.

A Star is Born
These discs start to shrink under the force of gravity, and temperatures at their centers rise to the point where they begin to combust. Suddenly, a primordial star is born from the collapse of this gas cloud. From this moment on, billions of stars are born and shine in the dark space. These first stars are several times greater than the size of our Sun, which is most likely a third-generation star.
Microscopic photo of comet dust (cosmic dust that comes from a comet)

The Essential Stuff
Nature has another use for these massive stars besides brightening up the darkness. These stars will also generate all the raw materials necessary for life. Inside their massive cores, intense heat causes atoms to collide, and brand-new elements are now produced. The universe reaches a new threshold as the very first atoms of oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen are fashioned into existence.

Sadly, all things must come to an end. As these stars use up all their energy, they will collapse and explode, shooting the newly created elements out into the unknown and vastness of the universe. The high energies of such an explosion will create additional heavier elements that combine with oxygen to form cosmic dust. Cosmic dust will spawn new generations of stars and their orbiting planets.

You, Me, and Everything
We all are the remnants of massive stars as they came to an end, churning out cosmic dust. Oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen atoms in our bodies were conceived in stars some 5 billion years ago. A human body is 65% Oxygen, 18.5% Carbon, 9.5% Hydrogen, and 3.2% Nitrogen. Not only us, but all matter that we see around us is also made from elements forged by distant stars.
Question
What does the usage of the word threshold in the sentence below from paragraph 6 emphasize about the universe?

The universe reaches a new threshold as the very first atoms of oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen are fashioned into existence.
Responses
A closureclosure
B challengechallenge
C magnitudemagnitude
D originationorigination

Answer 1

The usage of the word "threshold" in the sentence emphasizes a significant point or a new beginning in the universe's history. In this context, it indicates the moment when the universe moves from having only the basic elements (hydrogen and helium) to creating more complex atoms (oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen), which are essential for life as we know it.

Among the given options, the best answer is:

D) origination.

This choice highlights the idea of a new beginning or creation of more complex elements, which is a pivotal moment in the development of the universe and the eventual emergence of life.