You'll become rich and famous if you answer any of these...

[VetLegion]

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/309/5731/78b

"From the nature of the cosmos to the nature of societies, the following 100 questions span the sciences. Some are pieces of questions discussed above; others are big questions in their own right. Some will drive scientific inquiry for the next century; others may soon be answered. Many will undoubtedly spawn new questions."



It is surprising how many basic things we still don't know.

[BeBMan]

All answers are 42

Edit: Seriously, what do they mean by "perfect" in "Can researchers make a perfect optical lens?"?

[VetLegion]

There were microscopical imperfections in every lens polished so far?

[mrmitchell]

What triggers puberty?
Nutrition--including that received in utero--seems to help set this mysterious biological clock, but no one knows exactly what forces childhood to end.

hormones?

Why doesn't a pregnant woman reject her fetus?
Recent evidence suggests that the mother's immune system doesn't "realize" that the fetus is foreign even though it gets half its genes from the father. Yet just as Nobelist Peter Medawar said when he first raised this question in 1952, "the verdict has yet to be returned."

if it did, then humanity wouldn't exist...

Why do we sleep?
A sound slumber may refresh muscles and organs or keep animals safe from dangers lurking in the dark. But the real secret of sleep probably resides in the brain, which is anything but still while we're snoring away.

Don't all animals sleep? Presumably to conserve energy.

Do pheromones influence human behavior?
Many animals use airborne chemicals to communicate, particularly when mating. Controversial studies have hinted that humans too use pheromones. Identifying them will be key to assessing their sway on our social lives.

Yes. IIRC some have already been identified, like the one that makes people more trusting in others...

What are the limits of learning by machines?
Computers can already beat the world's best chess players, and they have a wealth of information on the Web to draw on. But abstract reasoning is still beyond any machine.

the limit of the human creating the machine

Why do some countries grow and others stagnate?
From Norway to Nigeria, living standards across countries vary enormously, and they're not becoming more equal.

capitalism

When do I get my money?

[Az]

hormones?

An interesting hypothesis, that requires proof. Also: what hormons exactly? mechanism, etc. etc.

if it did, then humanity wouldn't exist...

*slap*

Don't all animals sleep? Presumably to conserve energy.

proof, b%tch.

Yes. IIRC some have already been identified, like the one that makes people more trusting in others...

they probably look for applications.

the limit of the human creating the machine

again, anothet technological question. It's quite obvious that if humans will be able to builda self-learning machine, and will decide to build it, they'll build it. question being can we build it. ( The should we question is important, too )

capitalism

*slap*

[Kuciwalker]

If only you were a cappy, Az, you'd be perfect

[Az]

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Az
It's quite obvious that if humans will be able to builda self-learning machine, and will decide to build it, they'll build it. question being can we build it.

Some machines, robots, and software are already self-learning. The question is the scope. I am quite sure you can write Civ 4's AI in such a way that it learns from the players. That will be more difficult than the current way of writing computer players in games, but entirely doable.