Forget Jesus. The stars died so you could be here today.

“Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics.

You are all stardust.

You couldn’t be here if stars hadn’t exploded. Because the elements, the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, all the things that matter for evolution weren’t created at the beginning of time. They were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars. And the only way they could get into your body is if the stars were kind enough to explode.

So forget Jesus. The stars died so you could be here today.”

-Lawrence M. Krauss is foundation professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration, a professor in the physics department and director of the Origins Initiative at Arizona State University. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Physics of Star Trek.