All the knowledge already established in the history of humanity forces us to recognize that we still know very little about where we live. When we look at our intergalactic neighbor, things become even more nebulous.

The possibilities of atomic arrangements are infinite, however, we know a very limited amount of this whole. Some speculate that our knowledge of the different molecular recipes of the universe is no more than 1%.

But how is this possible if we have already traveled to space to collect samples and have already mapped part of the neighborhood of the solar system? The reality shows that in the macro world we have a superficial idea of ​​how things are organized, while in the molecular world, we barely know where to begin.

Too ephemeral to even be seen If we look at the periodic table with its 118 elements, we might think that we have already discovered all the existing elements. But even though new elements are not discovered every day, researchers are daily investigating the possibility of new combinations, forms of decay and ways of making elements with lives measured in thousandths of a second more stable.

The truth is that, even though they are catalogued, some of the elements do not even have their molecular structure mapped. This makes it difficult to detect and understand how these elements can have practical uses or what the effects of their interactions with biological organisms are.

If measuring instruments were not sensitive enough to detect their presence, they might remain unknown for much longer.

Another barrier to learning more about the universe is our comparative list, which basically consists of the elements in the periodic table and a limited number of combinations of these elements.

We currently know that this is not enough to describe everything we observe in the chemical composition of the universe, partly because we do not know for sure what we are observing. After all, what we observe also suffers distortions due to gravitational lenses, formed by the action of gravity that deforms time and space.

Even though we have given names to the elements that make up the cosmos, we still simply do not know what dark matter is, and what it is composed of. It accounts for approximately 26.8% of the universe, and dark energy, which accounts for another 68% of the formation of everything we see outside the borders of our atmosphere.

There are even researchers who estimate that for the elements that are still unknown, it is necessary to formulate a specific periodic table. It is a new chemical world, stimulating a new science that is under construction and in constant change.

But why don't we see this here?

Pressure, temperature and affinity. On Earth, we have very specific temperature and pressure conditions. Although there is a variation depending on altitude and latitude, among other factors, we will never be able to reach temperatures and conditions to forge or fission elements such as stars and nebulae, for example.

Regarding affinity, some elements do not interact or bind with other molecules under normal conditions. In the laboratory, it is possible to try to provide this conjunction. But these bonds are usually unstable and break before we can even verify how the bonding structure was created.

Unfortunately, we are unable to generate scenarios similar to the Sun, stars and nebulae under conditions of pressure and temperature sufficient to test and simulate theoretical elements.

And in theories about the chemical composition of the universe, the possibilities of interaction and arrangement between the elements are in the millions. But without proof, there are no elements. Furthermore, it would not be possible to bring reliable samples back from space, due to the same challenges in forming the elements here on Earth.

Even if the equipment were capable of keeping the elements in ideal conditions of conservation during the entire trip, when we manipulate the elements in the laboratory, it is very likely that when we open the samples, we would stimulate the decay of the element, or else the bonds could break.

All of these are challenges that contribute to the fact that our knowledge has not yet advanced to the point where we fully understand the chemical composition of the universe. Furthermore, the immensity of the cosmos, with unimaginable distances, limits us.

Technology still needs to become more precise and sensitive so that we can find new elements and stabilize them to the point where they can be widely studied, from their structure to possible applications, such as in medicine, engineering, among others.

Who knows, maybe you will be one of those responsible for unraveling and discovering another little piece of the composition of the universe? There is still a lot to discover!