Let me start by saying that I'm not a scientist or student, just a guy fascinated by various fields of science.
Somewhere I heard/saw that all elements of the periodic table naturally "want to become" more like lead, by means of fusion and fission. It was said that, for example, the Sun, fueled by hydrogen, fuses those atoms together, thus becoming helium. Over time the cycle continues down the line, fusing helium to become ? (lithium?), eventually coming to the end of the line as lead. If I remember correctly, this marks the end of a star's life.
With the same concept, elements at the end of the table, such as uranium (I can't remember what is at the actual end), undergo fission, eventually making its way to lead (and/or graphite?).
So, my question is this: Firstly, does this phenomenon have a name? Second, is what I've laid out above literally that process? What is it about lead that makes it so "desireable"? Is it the most stable of elements? And what is being gained/lost in the process?... protons? electrons? both?
However you are able to shed light on this topic is much appreciated. Keep in mind, though, that I am just a lay-person, not a scientist, not even a student.
