Imponderables
From Derek
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.
Contents
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?
- Can anyone explain tacking against the wind?
- Is "left and right" fundamental in physics or arbitrary?
- Does creation of the universe violate physical law?
- Are there any aspects of physics that are inviolate and absolutely immutable?
- s gravitational field a fiction?
- What is the weight of information?
- How many bits of information can be contained by the whole universe?
Math questions
Biology questions
- Are humans the only species that go through menopause?
- Why don't humans have a baculum?
- Is there any known anticorrelation between cancer and autoimmunity?
Computer science questions
- Is computation possible without any stable states?
- What are the basic ingredients for computation, and what extra ingredient is needed to make life?
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?
- Are there any types of human experiments for which ethics committee approval is generally not needed?
