[luxuryballs]

does anyone else experience an “eyes glazing over” effect when you read things like “Heavy elements such as gold and platinum are forged under extraordinary conditions, including when stars collapse, explode, or collide”?

It seems totally beyond possible in scope and scale to validate something like this, even if you managed to get up close to one of these events it would still be too big and powerful to follow what is happening.

[kadoban]

It is quite difficult to validate if you only consider the most direct of means like smashing two stars together and then physically going out and picking up the pieces.

There are other means to validate that type of thing though. Trying to come up with those means is a lot of fun. Can you think of any?

[libertine]

I'm ignorant on the subject, but when you boil it down isn't this all about throwing things at each other?