Astronomy
The Process of Nucleosynthesis in the Early Universe
Quick fact
About 75% of the ordinary matter in the universe is hydrogen, and about 24% is helium-4, both created in the first 20 minutes after the Big Bang.
Why this is interesting
Nearly all the hydrogen and helium in the universe today were forged in the first few minutes after the Big Bang. How did such a chaotic, fiery start produce the simple building blocks of everything we see?