The cosmic history of the elements: A brief journey through the creation of the chemical elements and the history of the periodic table

Our endeavour to understand the universe using observation and experiment - what we now call science - has yielded incredible results and has even revolutionised our lives. It has allowed us to study the basic building blocks of the colourful world around us: the chemical elements. We have even been able to travel back in time and tell the story of the elements from its very beginning. It is a story which stretches over billions of years - a timescale that defeats our imagination. This book takes us on a brief journey through space and time to tell the story of the creation of the chemical elements. We will journey from the beginning of the universe to the evolution of stars and their final death. We will also take a look at one of the most important and beautiful achievements in the history of science: the periodic table of the elements. The periodic table embodies the amazing order that exists among the elements, and its story is the story of discovering this order.