Top 25 Big Questions of Science

Science Magazine ^ | 07-01-2005 | Various

[zeugma]

THE QUESTIONS

The Top 25
Essays by our news staff on 25 big questions facing science over the next quarter-century.

1. What Is the Universe Made Of?

2. What is the Biological Basis of Consciousness?

3. Why Do Humans Have So Few Genes?

4. To What Extent Are Genetic Variation and Personal Health Linked?

5. Can the Laws of Physics Be Unified?

6. How Much Can Human Life Span Be Extended?

7. What Controls Organ Regeneration?

8. How Can a Skin Cell Become a Nerve Cell?

9. How Does a Single Somatic Cell Become a Whole Plant?

10. How Does Earth's Interior Work?

11. Are We Alone in the Universe?

12. How and Where Did Life on Earth Arise?

13. What Determines Species Diversity?

14. What Genetic Changes Made Us Uniquely Human?

15. How Are Memories Stored and Retrieved?

16. How Did Cooperative Behavior Evolve?

17. How Will Big Pictures Emerge from a Sea of Biological Data?

18. How Far Can We Push Chemical Self-Assembly?

19. What Are the Limits of Conventional Computing?

20. Can We Selectively Shut Off Immune Responses?

21. Do Deeper Principles Underlie Quantum Uncertainty and Nonlocality?

22. Is an Effective HIV Vaccine Feasible?

23. How Hot Will the Greenhouse World Be?

24. What Can Replace Cheap Oil -- and When?

25. Will Malthus Continue to Be Wrong?

[zeugma]

125 questions are linked to at the site, but the top 25 are highlighted.

One thing that I find to be interesting is that a large number of the top 25 are biological in nature.

[BunnySlippers]

Bookmarking. Lots to read here. :)

[Lx]

No agenda at all on 22, 23 and 24.

[bd476]

This is a good resource of interesting articles, Zeugma. Thanks for posting it.

[SERKIT]

If a man lacks the shame gene, and a woman lacks any memory of wrong-doing, do they always produce a Chelsea?

[sharktrager]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1435460/posts

[PubliusEXMachina]

<26. Why do fat women wear spandex? ="red">

[Captainpaintball]

bflr

[dfwgator]

26. What if the 'Hokey Pokey' really is what it's all about?

[Jagman]

How Far Can We Push Comical Self-Assembly?

Rodney Dangerfield was as far as I was willing to go.

[xcamel]

THE Answers:

The Top 25
Essays by our news staff on 25 big questions facing science over the next quarter-century.

What Is the Universe Made Of?
"stuff"

What is the Biological Basis of Consciousness?
"A substance missing from the environment in the DU"

Why Do Humans Have So Few Genes?
"To make liberals easily digestible"

To What Extent Are Genetic Variation and Personal Health Linked?
"Just enough to to prove Stupid is as Stupid does"

Can the Laws of Physics Be Unified?
"Can a liberal reply to a simple question without screaming?"

How Much Can Human Life Span Be Extended?
"Long enough that everyone else wishes toy would move on"

What Controls Organ Regeneration?
"Coffee"

How Can a Skin Cell Become a Nerve Cell?
"See gross liberal anatomy"

How Does a Single Somatic Cell Become a Whole Plant?
"how does a whole plant become a loaf of bread?"

How Does Earth's Interior Work?
"for free"

Are We Alone in the Universe?
"No, but they're avoiding us."

How and Where Did Life on Earth Arise?
"In the beginning there were two rocks..."

What Determines Species Diversity?
"Just ask a liberal"

What Genetic Changes Made Us Uniquely Human?
"The same ones that gave a worm more genes"

How Are Memories Stored and Retrieved?
"Cell Phone Cameras"

How Did Cooperative Behavior Evolve?
"When beating the uncooperative ones into submission didn't work any more"

How Will Big Pictures Emerge from a Sea of Biological Data?
"When they invent a living camera"

How Far Can We Push Chemical Self-Assembly?
"until it pushes back"

What Are the Limits of Conventional Computing?
"depends on your credit card balance"

Can We Selectively Shut Off Immune Responses?
"Dunno, but we know those who can shut off logical ones"

Do Deeper Principles Underlie Quantum Uncertainty and Nonlocality?
"see: WA state governors election"

Is an Effective HIV Vaccine Feasible?
"Abstinence works ever time it's tried"

How Hot Will the Greenhouse World Be?
"Hopefully warmer than the big chill we're in for"

What Can Replace Cheap Oil -- and When?
"Today - Simply harness liberal blather"

Will Malthus Continue to Be Wrong?
"Somebody has to be"

[RandallFlagg]

1. What Is the Universe Made Of?
Donuts and good homemade Texas barbeque sauce.

2. What is the Biological Basis of Consciousness?
Smashing your thumb with a hammer still hurts like hell.

3. Why Do Humans Have So Few Genes?
"Gene," isn't a very popular name like say, "Dave," is.

4. To What Extent Are Genetic Variation and Personal Health Linked?
It's very strongly linked until a truck runs you over the day you quit smoking.

5. Can the Laws of Physics Be Unified?
Not if the UN has anything to say about it.

6. How Much Can Human Life Span Be Extended?
As soon as we find a cure for freezer burn, indefinately.

7. What Controls Organ Regeneration?
George Romero.

8. How Can a Skin Cell Become a Nerve Cell?
Burn it off.

9. How Does a Single Somatic Cell Become a Whole Plant?
Ask God.

10. How Does Earth's Interior Work?
Gnomes and WD-40.

11. Are We Alone in the Universe?
FReepers are never alone.

12. How and Where Did Life on Earth Arise?
See #9.

13. What Determines Species Diversity?
The ACLU (apparently -but not for much longer).

14. What Genetic Changes Made Us Uniquely Human?
Homer Simpson

15. How Are Memories Stored and Retrieved?
250GB hard drives by Samsung.

16. How Did Cooperative Behavior Evolve?
Need for beer.

17. How Will Big Pictures Emerge from a Sea of Biological Data?
Steven Speilberg (see: JAWS).

18. How Far Can We Push Chemical Self-Assembly?
Only as far as Halliburton lets us.

19. What Are the Limits of Conventional Computing?
As long as folks can still play Half-Life 2, nobody's complaining.

20. Can We Selectively Shut Off Immune Responses?
Yep: Fire control and proper targeting skills.

21. Do Deeper Principles Underlie Quantum Uncertainty and Nonlocality?
Pass.

22. Is an Effective HIV Vaccine Feasible?
Not as feasible as behavior modifications.

23. How Hot Will the Greenhouse World Be?
No such thing.

24. What Can Replace Cheap Oil -- and When?
Oil ain't cheap.

25. Will Malthus Continue to Be Wrong?
If he keeps with the cheap tequilla, of course.

[Clock King]

Boooorrrinnngg! Alot of the answers we know or can loggically guess at.

[RandallFlagg]

LOL! I like yours better.

[solitas]

16: two can deprive individuals of their property and food more easily (and safely) than one - and thereby will enjoy a better existence than individuals. Either that or just plain 'ol biological birds-'n-bees.

19: OSX (ping Swordmaker) :D

[Luddite Patent Counsel]

126. I'm an important scientist probing the very outer limits of human intellectual inquiry, I'm extremely stable, and I earn a high income. Why am I still a pencil-necked geek unable to obtain a date with all but the most gruesome members of the opposite sex?

[operation clinton cleanup]

Thanks for posting. I suspect the answer to 4 or 5 of those would solve the rest.... or create 100 more!

[operation clinton cleanup]

What if the 'Hokey Pokey' really is what it's all about?

When your dealing with the "Hokey Pokey", it's ALL about the Hokey and the Pokey.

[operation clinton cleanup]

I'm an important scientist probing the very outer limits of human intellectual inquiry, I'm extremely stable, and I earn a high income. Why am I still a pencil-necked geek unable to obtain a date with all but the most gruesome members of the opposite sex?

You need to visit more drinking establishments.

[LexBaird]

126. I'm an important scientist probing the very outer limits of human intellectual inquiry, I'm extremely stable, and I earn a high income. Why am I still a pencil-necked geek unable to obtain a date with all but the most gruesome members of the opposite sex?

Answer: You income still isn't high enough. Emulate and duplicate the above experiment.