Difference between revisions of "Imponderables"

Revision as of 16:15, 12 December 2013

Collecting "imponderables" or interesting unanswered questions is one of my hobbies and I list a bunch of questions here. I decided to put them on this web site to encourage students to think creatively and identify deep questions. But anyone is welcome to enjoy them. I know the answer to some of them, and I have posted them in case others come up with an answer more elegant than I know. However, many are open questions to have fun with. Maybe some can never be answered. The questions are also here to encourage interdisciplinary thinking.

For ease of updating and ease of interaction, I've decided to post all my questions on ResearchGate.

Physics questions

• How to explain the diffraction pattern through a net curtain?
• Is it possible to find a temperature in the universe lower than the cosmic background?
• When do we use conservation of momentum vs. conservation of energy?
• Just before sunset, does your shadow move with infinite velocity?
• To what extent is thermal noise a result of the quantum world?

Math questions

• What is the probability of finding a point on a plane?

Biology questions

• Are humans the only species that go through menopause?

Computer science questions

• Is computation possible without any stable states?

Electrical & Electronic engineering questions

Philosophy questions

• Is mathematics a human contrivance or is it innate to nature?
• Are there any mathematics for which there is absolutely no application in physics?

Back

• Back to MyUni
• Back to Derek Abbott's homepage
• Back to EEE Department page
• Back to the University of Adelaide homepage