We, all of us, are what happens when a primordial mixture of hydrogen and helium evolves for so long that it begins to ask where it came from.

Source: "Join the SETI Search." TED2009. Feb. 2009. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: This quote is from a TED Talk given by the SETI Institute's Jill Tarter. Tarter studies patterns that may show signs of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, and these studies are the subject of this TED Talk. The quote means that human self awareness is ultimately the result of many years of evolution of stardust; elements present in stardust, such as hydrogen and helium, are the most basic building blocks of human life. Watch the full TED Talk here: Jill Tarter - Join the SETI Search

“Join the SETI Search.” TED2009. Feb. 2009. Conference Presentation.