25 of the most provocative questions facing science

NY Times (Science Times) ^ | Nov. 11, 2003 | Anon.

[Shryke]

Doh, that's right. Stupid morning-brain of mine reverses images in my head.

[js1138]

I wonder if your memory model is the same as the one that tortoise trots out, the one that somply has to be right, but can't (yet) be implemented in silicon.

Insects have only a few hundred brain cells. I'll know we are on the right path to AI when we can model insect behavior with a similar number of components. A flying machine would be a good turing test for insect intellect.

[Consort]

(5) What Is Gravity, Really?

It is the combining of geogen, pyrogen, aerogen, and fluogen in the process of forming chemical elements, using causal, portal, form, and structure units to build the forces of nature. And maybe not.

[general_re]

Hey, it's no more weird than that stuff Desmond Morris invents. It's evolutionary ;)

[Consort]

(1) Does Science Matter?

Not to the majority of life-forms.

[ZeitgeistSurfer]

(27) Who will Batboy support in the next presidential election?

[Physicist]

Does Kanerva's model explain why smells can trigger memories that are at once so vivid, so detailed, and so obscure?

Sequential memories are apparently more efficiently stored than non-sequential memories. I can't tell you what I had for supper a week ago today. But recently I astonished Mrs. P. by singing, off the top of my head, an entire verse of a song I heard once, in a concert of other unfamiliar songs, almost a year and a half ago ("Like She Was a Hammer" by Joe Henry).

[tallhappy]

What a nonsensical list.

I thought this would actually be something interesting.

[Consort]

(9) When Will the Next Ice Age Begin?

As soon as the Solar System finishes passing through this warm spot in the Aether.

[lupie]

Maybe the answer is in how you were taught. :)

Teaching Math in 1950: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?


Teaching Math in 1960: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?


Teaching Math in 1970: A logger exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set "M" of money. The cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element is worth one dollar. Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M." The set "C", the cost of production, contains 20 fewer points than set "M." Represent the set "C" as the subset of set M and answer this question: What is the cardinality of the set "P" of profits?


Teaching Math in 1980: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.


Teaching Math in 1990: By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the forest birds and squirrels "feel" as the logger cut down the trees? There are no wrong answers.


Teaching Math in 2000: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $120. How does Arthur Andersen determine that his profit margin is $60?

[Consort]

(10) What Happened Before the Big Bang?

The preceding Big Bang, if you go back far enough.

[Consort]

(15) Why Do We Sleep?

It is the only dignified way to be in a senseless state.

[Protagoras]

Will people ever learn to leave other people alone?

[Busywhiskers]

"(17) Can Science Prove the Existence of God?"

Can Science prove the existence of science?

and another question...

Why do we listen to scientist when we know that one of the dirty little secrets of science is that the whole scientific method (inductive reasoning) is logically dubious?

[longshadow]

provocative placemarker

[null and void]

If a woman discovered HElium, would it then be called HERlium?

It's already HERium - in Japan...

[Consort]

(21) Should We Improve Our Genome?

We won't be sure either way until it's too late.

[RightWingAtheist]

Can Science prove the existence of science?

Yes. Read The Cognitive Basis of Science (ed. Brian Carruthers; Oxford Press, 2002)

Why do we listen to scientist when we know that one of the dirty little secrets of science is that the whole scientific method (inductive reasoning) is logically dubious?

Science is much more than just "inductive reasoning." Again, read the book.

[cornelis]

In the end, the answer is either "just because" or "for God made it so." Take your pick.

These are not the same answer. Fact doesn't yield value. The "science" debaters pride themselves on logic, they are horrible at ethics and political science.

[Busywhiskers]

"Yes. Read The Cognitive Basis of Science (ed. Brian Carruthers; Oxford Press, 2002)"

Thank you. I will.