Top10ThingsScienceHasn'tExplained

 It"s time to cut to the chase with a look at the top ten things that Science  just can"t explain - yet. No we"re not talking minor mysteries like how Keith Richards is still walking, these are the biggies. Logan Wright ponders the questions that have still got us baffled.

1.What Came Before, What Will Come After

There are a number of theories about just what will happen once the universe ends or what came before it started. However, one doesn’t have to be an expert in quantum mechanics to realize that it’s a little tough to test any of them.

Some questions may just never be answered, regardless of the thought science invests in them. Where do we go when we die? What is the meaning of life (besides 42)? Why is it so funny when guys get kicked in the gonads? These are the questions that keep the greatest minds grinding through the night.

2.Dark Matter

The dark, ring-like structure in this composite image produced by the Hubble telescope is thought to be made by dark matter.All objects attract other objects and the more mass an object has, the stronger its attractive force. Plain enough. However, our current understanding of gravity does not explain the distribution of visible objects in the universe.

To solve this problem, modern physicists have invented the hypothetical substance dark matter. Dark matter, whose presence can only be detected based on the gravitational effects it has on larger objects. It is said to make up most of the Universe’s mass.

Most scientists postulate that dark matter is made up of the theoretical MACHO and WIMP particles. MACHOs (Massive Astrophysical Compact Halo Objects) are thought to be made up of normal matter, and are the main component in black holes and brown dwarf stars, both of which cannot be seen but can be detected via their gravitational effects.

WIMPs are composed of particles smaller than atoms and that are made up of a unique type of matter known as non-baryonic matter. According to physicists, WIMPS pass through normal, baryonic matter undetected and are probably moving through you right now.  Despite dark matter’s supposed abundance, astronomers and particle physicists have yet to pin down either a MACHO or a WIMP.

3.Yawning

Yawning is usually seen as indicative of tiredness or boredom, but people have been known to yawn in other situations. Anaerobic athletes such as weightlifters or sprinters sometimes notice themselves yawning during intense workouts or competitions. Yawning, which is not limited to humans, is also inexplicably contagious. If someone near you yawns, there is a good chance you’ll join them soon.

One hypothetical function for yawning relates to an accumulation of carbon dioxide. This makes some sense at first, but upon closer inspection, it fails to explain all yawning. For example, why should it be so damned contagious?

4.Cold Fusion

The cell which the US Navy reckons can carry out cold fusion reactions.When atoms collide together with enough force, they can fuse together. With this fusion, an enormous amount of energy is released. All accepted scientific theories of the universe tell us that this can only happen in an extremely energized environment like the Sun’s core (where hydrogen atoms fuse to create helium).

However, the universe appears to be far less simplistic. Experiments conducted by the US Navy have found that if you pass a voltage between palladium electrodes placed in heavy water (also called deuterium), a confusing phenomenon takes place. Atoms of palladium, a relatively rare and heavy element, arrange themselves in a crystal structure, which make up the electrodes. For reasons that scientists can’t deduce, the deuterium atoms in the heavy water move into the palladium electrode and then combine, releasing the burst of energy that accompanies atomic fusion.

Due to a lack of understanding about the whos, whys and wherefores of the technology, scientists are currently unable to use cold fusion in a commercially practical manner. Those involved are unsure as to whether or not substantial excess heat is generated by the reaction and how they could cheaply reproduce cold fusion on a large scale. Still, if it turns out that cold fusion is taking place, the mystifying reaction could very well end humanity’s energy woes. Many scientists are eager to study this phenomenon not just for its thermodynamic rebellion, but for its potential as a vital technology.

5.The Placebo Effect

In drug testing, a control group is necessary so that the results in the experimental group can be compared against something. Both groups are ideally identical aside from the experimental variable. The experimental group receives the drug, whereas the control group receives a placebo.

The placebo is a pill or medication that appears to be the drug, but does not actually contain any active ingredients and thus has no effect on the user. Thus, both groups believe they are taking the drug and both groups expect to experience the effects.

The trouble is, the placebo groups frequently do experience the drug’s effects, sometimes as much as those taking the active drug! This baffling phenomenon, known as the placebo effect, is not limited to drug trials, however. Most people experience the placebo effect in various ways everyday.

How our own psychological outlook can affect health is still mostly unknown, but you can be sure there are some great brains beavering over it right at this very moment.

6.The Speed of Light

According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, it is impossible to exceed the speed of light.

With this in mind, physicists set out to do the impossible and succeeded… sort of. In 2000, scientists in Princeton, New Jersey sent a small pulse of laser light through a vapor made up of gaseous cesium. The pulse traveled so quickly it was already leaving the vapor-filled chamber as it was still entering, roughly 300 times faster than it would have in a vacuum. Thus, light moved faster than the speed of light.

Other experiments have since managed to conquer light’s supposed speed limit, though all claims have had fine print that keeps them from being especially groundbreaking. Those seeking to truly prove Einstein wrong must instead turn to objects like black holes, which could theoretically cause things to move at faster-than-light speeds. Black holes have proven to be particularly uncooperative test subjects though, and for now this remains speculation.

7.Dark Energy

The majority of physicists once believed that the universe’s expansion was slowing down. In 1998, they were proven completely wrong. Though it flies in the face of scientific theory, the universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate.

One possible explanation is that empty space has a thing called dark energy, which supposedly makes up about three quarters of the universe. Dark energy is supposedly very sparsely distributed and exists in such a way that it interacts with other objects only through gravity. It has a strong negative pressure, which causes it to pull on its surroundings and as a result, pull apart the universe. This neatly explains the universe’s expansion without completely changing our understanding of the universe. No one has been able to find any dark energy yet, so scientists can merely claim that dark energy “should” exist.

8.Female Orgasms

Some scientists have formed a hypothesis that the female orgasm is vestigial, meaning that it serves no apparent evolutionary function. They claim that research has failed to prove that the female orgasm causes an increased chance of impregnation. Furthermore, a woman’s likelihood of experiencing an orgasm appears to have no effect on her decision to take part in intercourse.

There is, of course, substantial opposition to this opinion. Some argue that the hypothesis fails to properly take into account the psychosocial implications of the orgasm and that insufficient research has been conducted to make any conclusions. Many male opponents see the debate from a different angle and argue that claiming female orgasms serve no function is a surefire way to stay single forever.

9.Pioneers" Funky Voyage

The space probes Pioneer 10 and 11 (launched in 1972 and 1973 respectively) have long ago completed their trips through the solar system, but scientists are still paying attention to the ancient space travelers. Though Pioneer 11 was lost in 1995, both probes have inexplicably experienced unforeseen changes in their projected paths. To further add to the mystery, both seem to have moved off their route in the exact same way.

Flustered physicists and astronomers have eliminated computer errors, solar winds, and fuels leaks from the list of possible explanations and are now turning to other scientific mysteries like dark matter to try to explain the Pioneer probes’ altered trajectory.

10.The WOW! Signal

Jerry Ehman was wowed when, on August 15th 1977, he received a radio signal from space that bore expected hallmarks of potential non-terrestrial and non-solar system origin.

Amazed at how closely the signal matched the expected signature of an interstellar signal in the antenna used, Ehman circled the signal on the computer printout and wrote the comment "Wow!" on its side. This comment became the name of the signal.

The signal occupied a small range of frequencies around 1400 MHz. International agreements have outlawed broadcasts in that range, and almost all natural radiation signals have a significantly larger range of frequencies. Consequently, the signal’s source is very difficult to pinpoint.

The logical possibilities are a gargantuan radioactive event of some sort or a powerful transmission by an alien civilization. Naturally, most enthusiasts lean towards the latter. Skeptics, on the other hand, point out that any similar signals have always proven to be caused by interference. After 30 years, the argument rages on. Wow.