This piece continues from the preceding installment of Stones in the Body: More Frightening Than Cancer (Yoon Jong-won). The body, figures, and citations follow the manuscript as written.
3. The Six-Stage Cycle of the Universe [Table 6-1] The Life and Death of the Universe and Its Six-Stage Cycle
| Stage | Concept | Cosmological phenomenon | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birth | Big Bang | 13.8 billion years ago, a single point of 'nothingness (Singularity)', where there was neither time nor space, exploded in a great blast and was born |
| 2 | Growth | Inflation | Space expanded at a speed faster than light and the temperature cooled, and matter (quarks, electrons, and so on) formed |
| 3 | Reproduction | Galaxy/star formation | Hydrogen gas clumped together and made hundreds of billions of galaxies and stars. Inside the stars, materials of life such as calcium were synthesized |
| 4 | Decline | Increase of entropy | The stars use up all their fuel and die (white dwarfs, black holes), and the universe grows colder and colder. Disorder increases |
| 5 | Extinction | Heat Death | All the stars go out and even the black holes evaporate, so that there is no energy exchange at all, a state of silence at absolute zero |
| 6 | Return | Big Bounce | (Cyclic cosmology) The dead universe contracts once more into a single point or re-explodes, becoming the seed of a new universe |
One Principle: They Are All Identical
Now I will place the five worlds side by side, the cell, the human, the earth, the star, the universe; their sizes differ enormously, but the moment you read [Table 7-1] the Integrated Cycle and Evolution Table of the Five Great Life Systems horizontally, a common order is revealed.
They are born and the switch of birth is turned on, they grow and structure is formed, they reproduce and expansion and production occur, they age and disturbance and accumulation pile up, and in the end function stops and they return to being raw material; this flow repeats without exception in the cell, in the human, in the earth, in the star, and in the universe.
This time, read the table vertically. In the birth stage, all of them begin with the 'switch ON', the cell opens division with a calcium wave, the human begins life with fertilization and birth, the earth lays the foundation of planetary formation and of sea and crust, the star prepares to catch fire through nebular contraction, and the universe unfolds the stage of structure through the Big Bang and inflation; and in the growth stage, each world in its own way erects its skeleton and frame, and at the same time lays function upon that frame to convert into a 'moving system'.
And when the decline stage is entered, a common face appears; the cell has its flow disturbed by calcification and blockage, the human has its balance shaken by the accumulation of the DIAH calcium-efflux triggers, the earth has its cycle blocked by pollution and acidification, the star meets a turning point through expansion and imbalance, and the universe has its order loosened by the increase of entropy; in the end, in the extinction stage they reach the conclusion of the stopping of function, and in the return stage the raw material scatters once more and becomes the seed of the next cycle.
[Table 7-1] The Integrated Cycle and Evolution Table of the Five Great Life Systems
| Stage | Execution code (role) | (1) Cell (Micro) | (2) Human (Me) | (3) Earth (Gaia) | (4) Star (Origin) | (5) Universe (Macro) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Birth | Switch ON | Division (Ca wave) | Birth (fertilization) | Planetary formation | Nebular contraction | Big Bang |
| 2. Growth | Structure formation | Maturation (cytoskeleton) | Growth (bone/muscle) | Crust/sea formation | Main-sequence star (light) | Inflation |
| 3. Reproduction | Expansion/production | Replication (DNA copy) | Producing offspring | Life support | Nuclear fusion (element creation) | Galaxy/star formation |
| 4. Decline | Disturbance/accumulation | Calcification/blockage | DIAH trigger | Environmental pollution/ acidification | Red giant (expansion) | Increase of entropy |
| 5. Extinction | Function stops | Necrosis (bursting) | Calcium 7M (death) | End of planetary lifespan | Supernova explosion | Heat Death |
| 6. Return | Reset of raw material | Absorbed into body fluid | Return to soil/nature | Turning to cosmic dust | Discharge of calcium/elements | Big Bounce |
So this table is not a simple comparison but a single map that says, "Even though the sizes differ, life and the universe operate in the same order."
1. Dispelling the Misunderstanding About Identity
Here I will point out an important thing. That they are 'identical' does not mean that the mechanism is exactly the same.
The way a cell divides and the way a star fuses are completely different. The cell replicates its DNA and splits into two, and the star fuses hydrogen nuclei to make helium. The methods are entirely different.
But the 'directionality from birth to return' is the same. Under the cosmic law that is the second law of thermodynamics, all beings share the same fate. This is the meaning of 'identical'.
2. The Physical Definition of Death
What is it for a cell to die?
It is for the difference in calcium concentration inside and outside the cell to disappear. A living cell spends energy to keep the inside at a low concentration. It maintains a gradient. Only with this gradient can it send signals. What if the gradient disappears? It cannot send signals. It is dead.
What is it for the universe to die?
It is for energy to spread out uniformly so that it no longer flows. When there is no difference between hot places and cold places, energy does not flow. When the flow stops, it is dead.
What is it to be alive? It is to endlessly spend energy to maintain 'imbalance'. The cell runs its pumps to maintain the calcium concentration gradient. The stars of the universe create energy imbalance through nuclear fusion. When the imbalance disappears, they die.
The death of the microscopic and the death of the macroscopic follow the same physical principle. The extinction of imbalance. This is the essence of death.
At Its Center Is Calcium
We confirmed earlier that the five worlds follow the same cycle. Then, what is at their center?
It is calcium.
But the role of calcium differs in two domains. The star and the universe are the 'creators' who made calcium, and the cell, the human, and the earth are the 'executors' who use that calcium.
Look at the table. The star and the universe 'made and distributed' calcium. The cell, the human, and the earth 'receive and execute' that calcium. If the star had not made it, there would be no calcium on earth. If the earth had not stored it, there would be no calcium for the human to use. If the cell does not use it as a signal, life does not operate.
[Table 8-1] Division of the Role of Calcium: Creator (Origin) vs Executor (Execution)
| Division | Domain A: Origin and Distribution (Origin) | Domain B: Execution and Operation (Execution) |
|---|---|---|
| System | (5) Universe (Universe) <> (4) Star (Star) | (3) Earth (Earth) <> (2) Human (Human) <> (1) Cell (Cell) |
| Relationship | Creator (Creator) | User (User) |
| Core role | [Creation] Makes calcium through nuclear fusion [Distribution] Scatters it across the universe through supernova explosion | [Structure] Forms bone and crust (Hardware) [Signal] Operates the switch of life activity (Software) |
| Summary | "Designs and distributes the material of life (calcium)" | "Operates life with the distributed material (calcium)" |
| Analogy | Code developer (Programmer) | Code executor (Operator) |
The reason the calcium code theory works perfectly in the cell, the human, and the earth is that these three are a substantial community of fate that keeps life going by giving and receiving the 'identical calcium'.
1. Why Calcium of All Things
Of course, sodium, potassium, and magnesium are also involved in cellular signaling. It is not only calcium. But the decisive trigger that awakens the fertilized egg, makes the heart beat, and transmits nerve signals is calcium. Calcium is not the 'only' one but the 'most decisive' one.
Why was calcium of all things chosen? There are three reasons.
First, it is abundant. According to the material of the Royal Society of Chemistry of Britain, calcium is the fifth most common element in the earth's crust. Nature does not gamble with a rare material. It chooses a material that can be obtained anywhere.
Second, it has a moderate binding strength. Calcium is a divalent cation. It has a stronger binding strength than monovalent ions like sodium or potassium. But it is more flexible than trivalent ions like iron or aluminum. It is exactly the right force to attach to and detach from a protein.
Third, it has a fast reaction speed. Calcium binds and dissociates on the order of milliseconds. It can exchange signals in one thousandth of a second. If it had been a slow element, it would not have been able to make the heart beat on time.
2. Stone and Wave, Two Faces
But the most special ability of calcium is something else. It is an ability that no other element has.
Calcium can harden in the form of calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate. When it hardens, it becomes bone. It becomes shell. It becomes limestone. It can make a solid structure.
At the same time, it can dissolve in ionic form. When it dissolves, it moves rapidly in and out of the cell membrane and becomes a signal. It moves like a wave.
An element that can become a 'stone' and can also become a 'wave'. A material that can do both storage and signaling at the same time. In the entire universe, the only such material is calcium.
This is the bridge that binds the microscopic cellular signal and the macroscopic earthly limestone into one. It is a connection possible because it is calcium.
Everything Is Connected: The Journey of Calcium
In 1980 the astronomer Carl Sagan said on the TV program 'Cosmos':
"We are the dust of stars."
It sounds like a poetic expression, but it is a scientific fact. Most of the heavy elements, except hydrogen and helium, were made by the nuclear fusion of stars and by supernova explosions. The carbon, oxygen, calcium, and iron that make up your body. All came from stars.
But to speak precisely, it is like this. We are beings made of star dust who return once more to star dust. It is a cycle.
The Life Story of Calcium
Let us follow the journey of calcium from the very beginning. 13.8 billion years ago, the Big Bang occurred. In the universe there was only hydrogen and helium. There was no calcium.
Hundreds of millions of years passed, and gas clumped together and became stars. Nuclear fusion began inside the stars. Hydrogen became helium, helium became carbon, and through stages calcium was made. The star created calcium.
The star used up all its fuel and exploded as a supernova. Calcium was scattered into cosmic space. The universe distributed calcium.
The scattered dust clumped together again and became new stars and planets. 4.6 billion years ago, the earth was formed. The earth contained calcium.
The earth cooled and a sea appeared. Calcium dissolved out of the rocks and flowed into the sea. The sea filled up with calcium. The earth stored calcium.
3.5 billion years ago, life was born in the sea. Living organisms absorbed the calcium of the sea. They made shells and made bones. Calcium entered into life.
500 million years ago, fish came up onto land. They came up holding the sea within their bodies. Their descendant is the human. The calcium in your bones right now is the result of a journey that began in some star billions of years ago.
When you die, that calcium returns to the soil. Plants absorb it, animals eat it, and it becomes the material of other life.
In the distant future, when the sun dies and the earth perishes, the calcium that was in your bones becomes cosmic dust once more. Someday it will become the material of a new star.
A journey that begins in a star and returns to a star. This is the life story of calcium. We are a waystation on that journey.
The Completion of the Calcium Cosmic Integration Theory 1. Three Conversions
The cosmic integration theory converts three things.
First, the conversion of connection. Formerly, astronomy and medicine were severed from each other. The astronomer who studies the nucleosynthesis of stars and the physiologist who studies the calcium signal of cells lived in different worlds. What could a star and a cell have to do with each other? But the cosmic integration theory connects the severed link, from the calcium made in a star to its becoming a cellular signal.
Second, the conversion of the subject. Calcium had been known as a nutrient that strengthens the bones. It was a passive material. It was the kind of thing that appears only in milk advertisements. But calcium awakens the fertilized egg. It makes the heart beat. It creates thought. It is not the material of bone but the subject of life.
Third, the conversion of death. We thought death was the end. We thought it was something that disappears. But death is return. The calcium of my body returns to the soil and becomes the material of other life. Someday it becomes the material of the universe once more. Death is not the end but a part of the cycle.
2. The Blueprint and the Architect
In 2003 the Human Genome Project was completed. All 3 billion base pairs were decoded. Humanity cheered. They said the blueprint of life had been revealed.
But is a house built by a blueprint alone?
No matter how splendid an architectural blueprint there is, if there is no architect, the house is not built. DNA is like a single book placed on a library shelf. No matter how splendid the knowledge it holds, if no one opens it and reads it and executes it, it is merely information left idle.
What is it that reads this blueprint and actually makes proteins, makes the heart beat, and makes thought happen? It is calcium. DNA is the blueprint, and calcium is the architect.
No matter how perfect the blueprint, if the architect does not turn on the switch, life is nothing more than data at a standstill.
3. Its Place in the History of Science
In 1859 Darwin revealed 'why species change'. He put forward the answer of natural selection.
In 1953 Watson and Crick revealed 'what is inherited'. They put forward the answer of the DNA double helix. In 2003 the Human Genome Project completed that blueprint. They read all 3 billion base pairs.
But these great discoveries were missing one thing. It was 'how it is executed'. Even though there was a blueprint, they did not know the method of actually making it operate.
The calcium code theory fills this blank. It reveals that calcium is the architect who reads the blueprint. And the cosmic integration theory reveals where that architect comes from and where it goes. That it comes from a star and returns to a star.
4. The Distinction Between Science and Interpretation
Among the contents presented in this chapter, I will make clear how far it is verified science and from where it is interpretation.
The role of calcium as a cellular signal is verified science that won the Nobel Prize in 1991. The nucleosynthesis of stars is verified science that was established by the B²FH paper in 1957 and won the Nobel Prize in 1983.
Ringer's heart experiment, Fujita's calcium paradox, and the research on ocean acidification are all verified science.
On the other hand, the interpretation that 'the five worlds follow the same pattern' is an integrated viewpoint that connects scientific facts. It is not a new experimental result but a connecting of existing results.
The calcium cosmic integration theory is not a new invention. It is a discovery that connects scattered facts into a single picture. The puzzle pieces were already there. It fit them together.
Closing of the Chapter: Star Dust, the Code of Life
In the universe that began with the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, a star was born, made calcium, and died while distributing it. That calcium flew to the earth and became your bones. At this very moment it is making your heart beat.
In the cell, calcium is a signal. In the human, calcium is an executor. In the earth, calcium is a storehouse. In the star, calcium is a creation. In the universe, calcium is the medium of the cycle.
The roles differ. But everything is connected. Calcium, which would not exist if the star had not made it, piles up on the earth, becomes the bone of the human, and becomes the language of the cell. A single element runs through the universe and life.
This is the calcium cosmic integration theory.
When you breathe your last, that calcium returns to the soil. In the distant future, when the earth perishes, it will become cosmic dust once more and become the material of a new star. We are beings born of the legacy of stars, who return to star dust.
On to the Next Chapter
But in this great cycle there is a moment of change of direction. In the period of growth, calcium was the code that turns life on. It awakened the fertilized egg, erected the bones, and made the heart beat. It saved us.
But once the period of decline is entered, the body begins, for the sake of survival, to take calcium out of the bones. From that moment, calcium changes its course. The signal is redirected into deposition, and the medicine into poison. What had been saving us begins to make us harden.
In the next chapter, we will examine in detail the first gateway where this conversion begins, the DIAH Four-Gate Funnel theory. We will reveal why deficiency, inflammation, acidosis, and hypoxia are the starting point of all decline, and why these four factors are the four gates through which all death passes.
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