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Science's 125 Big Questions

Posted by Zonk on from the where-do-dorks-come-from? dept.

Shadow Wrought writes "To celebrate their 125th anniversary Science is running a series of articles on the 125 Questions of Science. The top 25 each link to an article exploring the subject of the question in depth. Included are such questions as: Are we alone in the Universe? What are the limits of conventional computing? How did cooperative behavior evolve?"

5 of 351 comments (clear)

  1. Dark Matter (#1) vs Unified Physics (#5) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Really? I'd think swapping them round might be a good idea. I won't comment on the ordering of biology vs physics though, as it's hard to fairly rank the two.

  2. Superultimate question by Shimmer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Martin Gardner says that the superultimate question is: Why does the universe exist?

    Or, put another way: Why is there something rather than nothing?

    Perhaps this is more of a philosophical or metaphysical question, but I think it fits in well with the great scientific questions.

    If you think about it, you'll realize that things would be alot simpler if nothing existed at all. Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing? It's a pretty overwhelming thought -- a good reminder that we still don't know much about the fundamental rules of nature. As Gardner said, "the night is large".

    --
    The most rabid believers in American Exceptionalism are the exact same people whose policies are destroying it.
    1. Re:Superultimate question by jmichaelg · · Score: 4, Insightful
      The fact that Gardiner can even ask that question is remarkable.

      400 years ago he would have been burned at the stake for posing the question since it was patently obvious that everything exists to demonstrate the glory of God. Anyone who would question that was a heretic. Today, he just has to watch out for F&Fs. (Fatwas and Falwells)

  3. Oh, come on. by MrHanky · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Dark matter and the biological basis of consciousness are well below the big question: What is knowledge? What is consciousness, and what is truth? This should be answered before the question of what the biological basis of consciousness can be known. We don't even know what consciousness is, so why do we look for its biological basis first?

    (The answer to the last question is: We didn't. But we haven't found any good answer yet, unless we believe in Plato et al. But science is, metaphorically speaking, a house of cards built in the air. And I'm saying that with no disrespect to science. (And yes, I'm a bit drunk, but I'm still serious.))

  4. Re:questions by spacecowboy420 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    To "solve" a question, wouldn't it need to be asked first?

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    ymmv