Scientists have finally gathered direct proof of how the universe forges its heaviest elements, a process that has remained a mystery for over half a century.
A team from the Flatiron Institute in New York City calculated that giant flares emitted by magnetars — highly magnetic types of collapsed stars known as neutron stars — could be the long-sought cosmic forge that creates the universe's heavy elements. Just one of these giant flares could produce a planet's worth of gold, platinum, and uranium.
