Nucleosynthesis Memes

The ultimate cosmic showdown: our Sun (a continuous nuclear fusion reactor) versus iron (Fe), the most stable element in the universe! The punchline? Iron wins every time. Stars like our Sun fuse elements to create energy, but once they start making iron, the party's over. Iron fusion actually consumes energy rather than releasing it, causing stars to collapse and sometimes explode as supernovae. So despite the Sun's billions of years of nuclear flexing, one "stable boi" is literally its kryptonite. Chemistry nerds know: Fe is the elemental equivalent of saying "hold my beer" to a star's entire existence.