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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."
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...
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.
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.
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.