Scientists just recreated the universe's first ever molecules — and the results challenge our understanding of the early cosmos

A dark, slightly colorful section of sky with white blobs.

For the first time, researchers have recreated the universe's first ever molecules by mimicking the conditions of the early universe.

The findings shake up our understanding of the origin of stars in the early universe and "calls for a reassessment of the helium chemistry in the early universe," the researchers wrote in the new study, published July 24 in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.