IS THE SOUL 0.111958% OF OUR MASS?

WHAT ARE HUMANS MADE OF
Written By Rebecca Sylvia
WHAT ARE WE MADE OF

WHAT ARE HUMANS MADE OF?

We are 63% hydrogen, 26% oxygen, 9% carbon, and a handful of trace elements.

That is the complete list. Everything you have ever thought, felt, remembered, or feared — reduced to eight ingredients.

Human beings have spent much of history describing themselves as unique, special, spiritual, chosen, enlightened, or somehow separate from the rest of nature.

Chemistry is less sentimental.

From a chemical perspective, a human being is just a bunch of bog-standard elements arranged in a particularly complicated pattern.

And yet, the numbers add up to only 99.888042%.

Some people think the missing 0.111958% is the soul.

Of course, this raises an interesting question. If every atom in the body can be identified, measured, weighed, and accounted for, where exactly do concepts such as consciousness, identity, free will, personality, meaning, and the soul fit into the equation?

Some would argue that they emerge from the arrangement of matter itself. Others would argue that something important is missing from purely physical explanations.

Science can tell us what we are made of.

Whether that is all we are remains a matter of debate. But isn't the soul supposed to be an abstract concept with no physical mass? If so, it would weigh nothing and register nothing in any chemical analysis.

Science thinks the missing 0.111958% is due to rounding.

What do you think?

#psychology #neuroscience #science #humanbody #existentialcrisis #psychstory #consciousness #alevelsupport

Rebecca Sylvia

I am a Londoner with over 30 years of experience teaching psychology at A-Level, IB, and undergraduate levels. Throughout my career, I’ve taught in more than 40 establishments across the UK and internationally, including Spain, Lithuania, and Cyprus. My teaching has been consistently recognised for its high success rates, and I’ve also worked as a consultant in education, supporting institutions in delivering exceptional psychology programmes.

I’ve written various psychology materials and articles, focusing on making complex concepts accessible to students and educators. In addition to teaching, I’ve published peer-reviewed research in the field of eating disorders.

My career began after earning a degree in Psychology and a master’s in Cognitive Neuroscience. Over the years, I’ve combined my academic foundation with hands-on teaching and leadership roles, including serving as Head of Social Sciences.

Outside of my professional life, I have two children and enjoy a variety of interests, including skiing, hiking, playing backgammon, and podcasting. These pursuits keep me curious, active, and grounded—qualities I bring into my teaching and consultancy work. My personal and professional goals include inspiring curiosity about human behaviour, supporting educators, and helping students achieve their full potential.

https://psychstory.co.uk
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