Researchers with the University of Western Australia ran some calculations and determined that, although violent, the Big Bang slowly created base and precious metals.
According to professors Snezhana Abarzhi and Annie Naveh from UWA's School of Mathematical Sciences, although the supernova explosion was violent it wasn't as turbulent and quick as previously thought.
"It is traditionally considered that turbulence was the mechanism for energy transfer and accumulation which resulted in chemicals being formed in the supernova," Abarzhi said in a press release. "However our research has revealed it wasn't turbulent but actually a slow process where hot spots of energy were localised and trapped, resulting in the formation of, for example iron, gold and silver from atoms produced by the Big Bang."
The researchers reached this conclusion after conducting a mathematical analysis of the conditions that were created from a supernova.
As it is widely known, the Big Bang theory suggests that through a process of expansion and explosion hydrogen gas was created which led to the formation of stars, and their death (supernova) led to the creation of minerals and, of course, life.
The UWA researchers believe their findings challenge previous concepts of the overall results of the Big Bang and bring them one step closer to understanding how life and other elements came to exist.