Slashdot Mirror
The 11 Greatest Unanswered Questions of Physics
Adn writes: "Discover magzine has a cover story on the "..11 Greatest Unanswered Questions of Physics" and why answering these might lead to a new age of science.... the full article can be found at The National Academy Site.
Almost brings to mind Hilbert's 11 questions on Mathematics which if solved were supposed to usher in a new era of logic and formalism."
How do those square Tollhouse cookies bake up round? ROUND, DAMN YOU, ROUND!!
42!!!
All Troll + "offtopic" mods are meta moderated as "Unfair", because you abused the system.
So far, I havent taken physics yet. I want to, but please tell me, is it an awesome class?
Kyle "DotCom" Lynch
...I need some cheeze-its...
The story is featured on the website-- only with a blurb.
The full story is only in the print edition of the magazine.
Thanks, now I can read the whole article before posting... If I go and buy the fucking thing. And you eds have the audacity to bitch about signal:noise.
-txr
Whats the longest amount of time a webserver can go on slashdot before dying.
All Troll + "offtopic" mods are meta moderated as "Unfair", because you abused the system.
What is the dark matter?
What are the masses of the neutrinos, and how have they shaped the evolution of the universe?
Are there additional spacetime dimensions?
What is the nature of dark energy?
Are protons unstable?
How did the universe begin?
Did Einstein have the last word on gravity?
How do cosmic accelerators work and what are they accelerating?
Are there new states of matter at exceedingly high density and temperature?
Is a new theory of matter and light needed at the highest energies?
How were the elements from iron to uranium made?
The PDF gives a detailed explanation for each of these if you're interested: http://www.nationalacademies.org/bpa/reports/cpu/q 2c-public_release_version.pdf
1) What is the dark matter?
Also known as 'mildew', it is the dark substance that forms most notably in grout. It can be countered using so-called "white matter", also known as chlorine bleach.
2) What are the masses of the neutrinos, and how have they shaped the evolution of the
universe?
Evolution is a lie put forth by Satan, so "evidence" like neutrinos are Satanic instruments to delude human thinking.
3) Are there additional spacetime dimensions?
Heaven and Hell can be considered seperate dimensions. However, it is widely believed that Heaven exists in the Up dimension and Hell in the Straight Down dimension.
4) What is the nature of the dark energy?
I would not ask such things, if I were you!
5) Are protons unstable?
About as unstable as the morons running this place.
6) How did the universe begin?
This has got to be the easiest test in Topeka.
Gen 1:1 - In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.
7) Did Einstein have the last word on gravity?
Gravity sucks. Obviously, I just had the last word on gravity. heh heh heh
8) How do cosmic accelerators work and what are they accelerating?
Don't buy cosmic accelerators. They claim to accelerate cosmics, but I didn't notice any improvement in either acceleration or fuel economy in my 64 Mustang.
9) Are there new states of matter at exceedingly high density and temperature?
Yes, I previously mentioned the "moron". There are also the "stickon" and "burnton". The last one can be avoided by using a lower density state of matter, the "teflon".
10) Is a new theory of matter and light needed at the highest energies?
Yes. At very high energies, I notice that matter and light cease being 'solid'. I call the new state of matter/light as "blur".
11) How were the elements from iron to uranium made?
Uranium was pulled out of Uranus. huh huh huh...
Here are the answers.
(note: these are links to funny science theories. Don't take it seriously. And don't stop ingesting DMHO.)
so-called "light sources" are really dark suckers, that "light" is nothing more than the absence of darkness, and that it is darkness, not light, which is the fundamental radiative transport mechanism of the universe.
This page is funny, specially when you know DHMO is water.
-
Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, find / -name '*base*' |xargs chown -R us && mv zig greatjustice
David Hilbert originally proposed 10 questions, not 11. The final list included 23 questions. See here for more details and the specific questions.
1. Question 1 involves butter, toast, and carpets of varying qualities. I skimmed over the details. It seemed more like a math problem to me.
2. Transmutation of coat hangars into paper clips.
3. Relative attractiveness of homely aging baby-boomer rock stars and model/actress wives compared to average Joe and Jane Twelvepack.
4. How do they cut the potatoes to get the Pringles chips all the same size and shape?
5. Why don't psychics clean up on the lotteries?
6. The question of the conundrum of having both tea and no tea.
7. Belly button lint accumulation and its relation to dark matter distribution in the universe.
8. Televisual weight gain and Relativity... the camera _really does_ put on 10 pounds.
9. How _did_ they get the hot side to stay hot and cool side to stay cool? And why was seaweed involved?
10. Dick Clark and the Mystery of Non-necrotic Mummification.
11. What's that funny 1x4x9 black thing orbiting Jupiter?
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
Here is a question science has yet to answer: Why can I remember my locker combonation from sixth grade, but I can't remember the day of the week?
I once shot a man who posted too many, "Imagine a beowulf cluster of these"
4. How do they cut the potatoes to get the Pringles chips all the same size and shape?
Aside from the obvious fallacy of the postulate, that being that no Pringles chips will be any shape other than the 'standard' Pringles chip, there is a single, simple explanation for the phenomenon they are describing.
Extruded potato flakes.
Now an advanced theory will be necessary to explain the many "potato crumbs" present in many Pringles cans.
42
However the question is rather vague.
The questions seem directed more at justifying big equipment expenditures than at taking on analyses of the numerous physical anomalies we already know about. Great advancements in the last twelve decades -- electromagnetics, quantum mechanics, the relativities -- arose from hard thought about phenomena that were already well-known, but contradicted received wisdom. They generally have not come from further measurements of already understood phenomena but involving bigger numbers.
I'd much rather see a list of questions based on well-known phenomena that contradict fashionable theories, with the goal of replacing the latter with something less arbitrary.
Physics can be good or bad depending on you and your teacher. If the teacher sucks, then it sucks. But it's mostly about you.
Are you interested in studying why things happen? Do you like math (especially calculus)? Are you satisfied with somebody telling you something or do you want solid proof? Physics can be great. For me, it's the best thing ever, but a surprising amount of people find it boring. If you have an open mind and want to question reality then physics is wonderful -- but remember, it's more than a class.
Not matter. A misunderstood phenomena based on our incomplete understanding of how gravitons create pressure
What are the masses of the neutrinos, and how have they shaped the evolution of the universe?
Their mass is measured only in the fourth dimension. They have always been present.
Are there additional spacetime dimensions?
Yes, many more.
What is the nature of dark energy?
It's a variant of anti-gravity.
Are protons unstable?
Everything is unstable, given energy (also known as time.)
The "universe" is a concept that does not talk about what you are trying to address. The "universe" that we are in began all at once. As for when, as recently as yesterday by some estimates, as long ago as forever by others.
Did Einstein have the last word on gravity?
No, and no scientist ever will.
How do cosmic accelerators work and what are they accelerating?
My hope is that before you find the answers to these questions, you will have developed into an ethical civilization.
Are there new states of matter at exceedingly high density and temperature?
"States of matter." OTF! Such a primitive concept. Have you not passed the stage of your "earth, wind, and fire" simplicities?
Is a new theory of matter and light needed at the highest energies?
Yes. No theory of yours comes close to describing reality. Each discovery is like a grain of sand on a big, big beach.
How were the elements from iron to uranium made?
With far more energy than you have access to.
Gets a clue. The next step for science is to transcend mathematic analysis.
1) explaining high Tc superconductivity
2) explaining turbulence at all scales
3) developing something more advanced than DFT
in order to solve the quantum N body problem
accurately for large systems : then, "compute"
drugs and understand life
4) make quantum computers that work, on a
desktop, with plenty of qubits
Google passes Turing test : see my journal
If I was a politician with half a clue (yeah I know that's oxymoronic) and was presented that list as a guide to what the astronomy and physics (read space science) communities want to invest many billions on in the coming decade(s) they would be sent packing.
During the past decade there has been enormous progress on a much wider range of problems than just the far ends of cosmology and particle physics that are the focus of those eleven questions ... much in areas that are a lot closer to home and in those areas progress has been much more rapid and, IMHO, much more interesting.
As planetary creatures, the progress in our knowledge of planetary bodies both in our solar system and beyond has undergone more fundamental revision than either quantum mechanics or relativity has in several decades.
What we really need is research that focuses on how quickly we might grow our endeavours in the planetary arena ... issues from orbital mechanics to mineralisation in non-terretrial environments which are going to constrain our abilities to further explore (often robotically) and eventually exploit other parts of the solar system.
If we really want to blue sky, we need look no further than starting serious research into how we might eventually be able to send probes towards nearby stars in the kind of practical timeframes that will require acceleration to a useful fraction of the speed of light ... but even that is sure to need serious industrialisation outside earth's gravity well.
Meanwhile we will at least be able to get a much better picture of other solar systems through new generations of instruments ... especially space-based instruments.
Yeah I know most of these big picture types are caught up in the dream of finally answering the big "Why?" but the history of science suggests to me that there is no likelihood such an answer will be found any time soon, so it is better to focus on learning what we can about the details so we may better answer "What should I do?"
-- Our systemic servants do not good masters make.
I must agree with those who view the posted questions as being a curious choice. Some of my own are: 1. Exactly what is gravity, and can it be controlled ? 2. Can/does anything travel faster than light, with or without wormholes? 3. How can power be generated in ecologically safe ways (that is, without unfortunate byproducts)? 4. How can people fly safely, quickly and affordably without requiring fossil fuels? 5. Is a true 3d hologram (a la Rimmer/Cdr Data/etc) possible?
Ruth Ivimey-Cook
Software Engineer and Author
The unaccounted-for gravity is due to all those "Try AOL Free!" disks sent out.
Table-ized A.I.
I expect better from the National Academy of Science.
About these:
1) Why do pendulums swing funny durring an eclipse?
2) Why are space probes slowing down?
Answer those two and you'll find out how to answer the others.
The more I talk to particle physicists, the more I'm convinced they know as much about reality as an alchemists.
Friction. Mass. And along with mass, Inertia.
I just don't believe that every "big question" is at the extreme ends of the scale where cosmologists and particle accelerators seek their answers to the big "Why?"
Newton, Darwin and the others developed their great theories for things a lot closer to human scale and, while some may have felt they were reading the mind of God, they were also clearly focused on the problem at hand. (I say this as an admirer of the interdisciplinary efforts at the likes of Santa Fe Institute, as much more a generalist than a specialist.)
All I ask is a bit of balance so that enough weight is given to research at interplanetary and interstellar scales that we might give ourselves a chance to find their equivalents of plate tectonics, to my mind the most elegant piece of science since Darwin.
-- Our systemic servants do not good masters make.