Novel Answers to Scientific Mysteries
Scholars like Aristotle and Emil du Bois-Reymond have tackled fundamental questions like the origin of life and the nature of space and time. Although many scholars have deeply thought about these issues, they still remain enigmatic. Beyond these grand enigmas, there is a plethora of other scientific mysteries that are just as thrilling. These mysteries can be revealed by searching our current state of knowledge for open gaps, logical inconsistencies, or strange anomalies.
There is no generally accepted list of unresolved problems. There are various overviews of subject-specific lists of 'open scientific questions', but these lack consistency and criteria for selecting topics. Instead, they seem to be primarily shaped by the authors' knowledge and interests. The portfolio of unresolved issues that we address here on deep-thought.org is also driven by our personal interests and does not claim to be exhaustive. However, we are not satisfied with a mere list of unsolved problems. We only deal with questions for which we can contribute an original solution. To this end, each question is first subjected to an in-depth analysis that reveals as many different facets of the problem as possible. We then offer one or more possible solutions. Finally, each proposed solution is subjected to a critical evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. The range of topics covered extends across all scientific disciplines - and the solutions often integrate arguments from several fields of knowledge.
Why not spend a little time browsing! There is bound to be something of interest ...
The stone rows of Carnac are a well-known tourist attraction in Brittany. But what was the primary purpose of this Stone Age monument?
Respiratory infections are most common during winter months. Why is this the case?
The properties of elementary particles show regular patterns, especially in their electrical charges. How can these regularities be explained?
All elementary particles have a property called spin, which is interpreted as the intrinsic angular momentum of the particle. In classical mechanics, each angular momentum is associated with rotational energy. Is rotational energy also associated with the spin of elementary particles? If so, how big is it?
In the common narrative of the history of science, one finds the story that classical mechanics was replaced by Einstein's theory of relativity and is contained in the theory of relativity as a special case for small velocities. On closer inspection, however, this narrative is not quite right.
The principle of least action, also known as Hamilton's principle, is a fundamental principle of theoretical physics from which the laws of motion in many areas of physics can be derived. However, our current knowledge gives no indication as to why this principle is universally valid.
