Your Atomic Self: The Invisible Elements That Connect You to Everything Else in the Universe

Your Atomic Self explores how the atoms that make up your body connect you to the wider universe. Scientist Curt Stager traces the journeys of individual elements through natural systems and human biology. Oxygen atoms move through fire, water, forests, and fingernails. Hydrogen atoms in your hair reveal information about where you live and what you drink. Carbon from your breath becomes tree trunks. Sodium in your tears links you to ancient oceans. Nitrogen in your muscles contributes to the blue sky, phosphorus in your bones affects coastal water color, calcium in your teeth was once mined by mushrooms, and iron in your blood has antimicrobial properties similar to those that once affected stars. The book presents itself as an atomic field guide to understanding yourself and your place in the natural world, demonstrating that you are not simply made of atoms but are atoms themselves.