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Today, many people around the world believe that the first human was a man called AdamThe name given in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament to the first human. . According to a story written in the BibleThe collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity. The Bible includes the Old Testament and the New Testament. , he is created by God. God says to Adam: "For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return". In other words: you have come from dust, and one day you will be dust again.

Humans do not look like the dust we see in the air around us and on surfaces in our homes.

But scientists now think it might be true. We humans might be made of dust.

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Dust is a collection of small bits of material that floats in the air.

It can include rock, sand, cement, dirt, bacteriaA large group of single-cell microorganisms. Some cause disease in animals and humans. , ash, smoke, pollenA fine powder produced by flowers that fertilises other flowers. and salt. And it also often contains human and animal skin and hair. As scientist Jay Owens writes: "almost everything can become dust, given time."

That includes us. When we die, our bodies break down and become dust.

Yes! God is right. The whole universeEverything. Including all of time and space and its contents. is made of dust. Dust is all around us. And we are dust too. Or we all will be, one day.

No! Humans may be dust one day. But we think of dust as the bits of stuff that float about in the air. When we are alive, we are clearly not dust.