Seven Questions That Keep Physicists Up at Night

[LA Ute]

I saw this article, Seven Questions That Keep Physicists Up at Night, and thought it was interesting. I'm not sure it has a real "foyer" application (no, I am not trying to make a point about creation or any such thing) - it's just interesting and focuses on big issues.

Here are the 7 questions:

Why this universe?

What is everything made of?

How does complexity happen?

Will string theory ever be proved correct?

What is the singularity?

What is reality really?

How far can physics take us?

The article provides the details. It's a short, layman-friendly read.

[Art Vandelay]

I saw this article, Seven Questions That Keep Physicists Up at Night, and thought it was interesting. I'm not sure it has a real "foyer" application (no, I am not trying to make a point about creation or any such thing) - it's just interesting and focuses on big issues.

Here are the 7 questions:

Why this universe?

What is everything made of?

How does complexity happen?

Will string theory ever be proved correct?

What is the singularity?

What is reality really?

How far can physics take us?

The article provides the details. It's a short, layman-friendly read.

That is #2-#9.
#1 What does "lets not ruin our friendship by dating" really mean? And how come ever woman I have ever known has said it to me?

[creekster]

That is #2-#9.
#1 What does "lets not ruin our friendship by dating" really mean? And how come ever woman I have ever known has said it to me?

so you married someone that only wanted to be your friend?

[Art Vandelay]

so you married someone that only wanted to be your friend?

If an A- in physics makes me a physicist than the answer would be yes. But since I can't recall a single formula or theory, I would say that doesn't apply to me. My wife married me for my stunning good looks and my amazing body.

[LA Ute]

If an A- in physics makes me a physicist than the answer would be yes. But since I can't recall a single formula or theory, I would say that doesn't apply to me. My wife married me for my stunning good looks and my amazing body.

What is the penalty for a right-out-of-the-chute threadjack? I want the maximum!!!

[TripletDaddy]

This is an interesting article. Sometimes when my wife and I take a road trip (LA to Utah), we will both read a newspaper article and then an hour or so into the trip and once the kids settle down into their roadie routine, we will just start talking about the article. It is amazing how a brief newspaper article can generate hours of ancillary discussion.

This physics article strikes me as the jumping off point for some interesting road trip discussions......or, absent a road trip, some interesting discussion fodder if everyone decides to get high and then converse one with another.

There are several Gospel parallels in some of these questions, but the one I find most interesting is the final piece.....

Perhaps the biggest question of all is whether the process of inquiry that has revealed so much about the universe since the time of Galileo and Kepler is nearing the end of the line. "I worry whether we've come to the limits of empirical science," says Lawrence Krauss of Arizona State University. Specifically, Krauss wonders if it will require knowledge of other universes, such as those posed by Carroll, to understand why our universe is the way it is. If such knowledge is impossible to access, it may spell the end for deepening our understanding any further.

Looks like someone should set up Science and Religion on a blind date. The time may be right.

[beefytee]

How far can physics take us?[/INDENT]

I can't image we are close to having all the big answers. I realize that there may be plenty of unobservable stuff in other universes, but does he really think we'll run out of important unsolved questions in physics anytime soon?

[creekster]

I can't image we are close to having all the big answers. I realize that there may be plenty of unobservable stuff in other universes, but does he really think we'll run out of important unsolved questions in physics anytime soon?

This reminds me of the discussion that took place after the berlin wall cme down and communism was disappearing and the cold war was over. There was actualy an article in foregin affairs asking if this was the end of history.

[Jarid in Cedar]

The unanswerable question to me is consciousness. How does consciousness come into being and how does it interact with the physical body and world.

[creekster]

The unanswerable question to me is consciousness. How does consciousness come into being and how does it interact with the physical body and world.

I saw thi sdescribed in another thread as an issue as well. I fail to understand why consciousness isnt explainable as a simple byprodcut of evolutioanry pressures. It is so related to memory and repetiion and practice and it serves the community well, making genes more surviveablke. WHy is it seena s something outside of evolution's typical processes, as it seems ot be by people smarter than me?

[wuapinmon]

That is #2-#9.
#1 What does "lets not ruin our friendship by dating" really mean? And how come ever woman I have ever known has said it to me?

What kind of knowledge are you talking about?

[Moliere]

I saw thi sdescribed in another thread as an issue as well. I fail to understand why consciousness isnt explainable as a simple byprodcut of evolutioanry pressures. It is so related to memory and repetiion and practice and it serves the community well, making genes more surviveablke. WHy is it seena s something outside of evolution's typical processes, as it seems ot be by people smarter than me?

Is consciousness only a human trait? If it is part of the evolutionary process, why haven't other species developed it?

The big question for me is How did life start? I've never looked into the answer from an evolutionary aspect so I'm sure some scientist has a theory on it.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Is consciousness only a human trait? If it is part of the evolutionary process, why haven't other species developed it?

The big question for me is How did life start? I've never looked into the answer from an evolutionary aspect so I'm sure some scientist has a theory on it.

I believe other animals have consciousness, they just can't tell us about it. Basically, if you consider that some animal appear to dream, then you can infer consciousness.

[Jarid in Cedar]

I saw thi sdescribed in another thread as an issue as well. I fail to understand why consciousness isnt explainable as a simple byprodcut of evolutioanry pressures. It is so related to memory and repetiion and practice and it serves the community well, making genes more surviveablke. WHy is it seena s something outside of evolution's typical processes, as it seems ot be by people smarter than me?

I was going to answer this last night, but got distracted.

The biologic model for memory has to do with the formation of proteins that are stored in certain cells in the brain. These proteins then alter electrical activity in a way that we then interpret as a memory. This model is difficult to quantify and frankly hard to understand how it occurs. Why are some memories encoded more strongly(hence easier to remember than others)?, Why can memories be altered(possibly degradation of the protein over time)?This, I think, is why consciousness is the most difficult fontier for the biologic model.

[Brian]

There is a talk from this same guy in the "Big Ideas" podcast on dark energy. Very interesting, very understandable to the layman.