Astrophysicist and science fiction author Carl Sagan said, "We are made of stardust." And he was right. The nuclear burning inside of collapsing stars produces all of the elements heavier than iron, all of which make up and sustain life on Earth: carbon, nitrogen, iron, calcium. Even lead, gold and the rock beneath our feet come from stars.
CASPAR, the Compact Accelerator System for Performing Astrophysical Research, researches this process from nearly a mile underground.