DEE WILSON CONSULTING

This New York Times story (linked below) contains the responses of 100 distinguished scientists to the query:  "What is a big unanswered question in your field?" 

 

Some responses concern mysteries of the early universe, such as "Does time have a beginning when the universe was very small?" and "What preceded the Big Bang?" There are questions regarding dark matter ( "What is it?") and dark energy that causes the universe to expand ( "Is it constant, or does it increase and or decrease?"). There are also odd questions such as "Why are humans the only species with a chin?"

 

One of the questions that interest me is ""What kind of info about people, places and other dogs can dogs acquire through smell?" 

 

There are questions about the functions of sleep and the dreams of animals re which there has been outstanding recent research. There is a question re whether it is possible to reverse the aging process without damaging the organism, and whether it is possible to create protein nanomachines that patrol the body to repair cellular damage? 

 

There is a question about the origins of life on Earth and a question about consciousness, "Will be ever understand consciousness in a way  that could apply to non- living things?" 

 

There is a question from a philosopher re how it is possible for humans to develop creative ideas that are not just a rehash and reworking of old ideas.   

 

Perhaps the most important question is "Is humanity doomed by our nature to inequality and war?"     

 

There are questions about the physics of earthquakes, and questions re evolution, e.g.  "Why did the human brain expand so rapidly during the ice age?" 

 

If you have a favorite question or two, please let me know. 

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/science/100-unanswered-questions-science.html