Why an Atheist Thinks the Shroud of Turin is the Real Deal

The Abundance of Carbon

Carbon is the fourth most abundant chemical element in the universe—at least we think so—yet it is not very abundant on the earth’s surface. It comprises only about 0.032% of the matter all around us even though we are, as a living creature, about 18% carbon. Stable carbon that is so essential to life was not formed in the Big Bang or at any time in Guth’s inflationary model. It was formed much later, after stars were formed. Nuclear physicists tell us that it was formed by a two-step nuclear fusion that could only take place in only the hottest of massive stars. Carbon probably arrived in our little region of the universe as dust from supernova explosions that happened billions of years ago. Our solar system was created from that dust and other ingredients that arrived from stars far, far away.