Thermonuclear detonations on white dwarf stars are "lithium factories," according to a gamma-ray signal that is the first hard evidence that these explosions are creating the lithium used in our electronics.
Lithium was the heaviest element to be produced in the Big Bang, which also generated hydrogen and helium. Today, lithium is an integral part of our modern technology, utilized in lithium-ion batteries that power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles.
