Physics Greatest Mysteries

[EWright]

I'm once again working on my theory and plan on presenting details soon. It may not be correct to call it "one" theory, as I attempt to provide answers to a number of physics/cosmology's unanswered questions. In it I will define the nature of such things as dark energy, dark matter, time, and alternative explanations for some aspects of special relativity.

I'm asking for those of you with a more thorough understanding of the field to offer other major questions that still puzzle phycisists, so that I may attempt to see whether I can apply these concepts to my ideas as well. If you can include links to sites addressing these issues, so that I can gain a better understanding of them, I'd appreciate it.

I'd also ask that you not present problems that are specifically mathematical/formula based, as I do not have the physics/math background to tackle these. I am more interested in presenting ideas/concepts with new viewpoints (I hope), which true physicists might take into consideration in their attempts to advance the fileds of physics and cosmology.

Thanks

[Tormod]

Maybe Bo could be of assistance here. Try popping him a private message!

[EWright]

Will do. But others, will you please add your ideas/knowledge/lack-there-of, as well?

[Erasmus00]

Originally Posted by EWright

Will do. But others, will you please add your ideas/knowledge/lack-there-of, as well?

The big one is reconciling quantum mechancis and general relativity.

In condensed matter, a fairly central question would be trying to figure out what is going on with high Tc superconductors, here is a decent link http://physicsweb.org/articles/world/12/12/3

There are loads of unanswered questions in nuclear physics, but I can't find any decent, non-mathematical explanations.
-Will

[EWright]

Originally Posted by Erasmus00

The big one is reconciling quantum mechancis and general relativity.

In condensed matter, a fairly central question would be trying to figure out what is going on with high Tc superconductors, here is a decent link http://physicsweb.org/articles/world/12/12/3

There are loads of unanswered questions in nuclear physics, but I can't find any decent, non-mathematical explanations.
-Will

LOL... I can always count on you Will, to throw me a curveball that's over my head! I'll brain storm this, but I don't really see how to apply my theory to this one. Keep 'em coming though!

I'm most intersted in cosmological concepts, electromagnetism, particles, time, dimensions, relativity, gravity, paradoxes, etc. I'm open to all suggestions tho!

[Erasmus00]

Originally Posted by EWright

I'm most intersted in cosmological concepts, electromagnetism, particles, time, dimensions, relativity, gravity, paradoxes, etc. I'm open to all suggestions tho!

In particle physics, they have not found the Higgs Boson yet, so no one is positive as to exactly what causes mass. Here is a link with some decent explanations as to what the hypothetical Higgs is http://www.phy.uct.ac.za/courses/phy...icle/higgs.htm
-Will

[Bo]

there are MANY fundamental open problems

the following are I think truly fundamental querstions, (not just 'ow a problem we haven't solved, but that can't take long')
1) Why is space (at low energies for the string theorists..) four dimensional? and why is it (1+3) (so one timelike, and three spacelike dimensions) what are -on a fundamental level- the reasons why time behaves differnently then space?
2) What is dark energy? What is dark matter?
3) how can we unite general relativity and quantum field theory?
4) Why does Nature appear to follow some logic, given by conservation laws and symmetries (these two are strongly related)
5) what fixes natures constants? are they realy constant?
6) what is (quantum) information?
7) is mathematics the correct language to describe nature?
8) why are there three leptonic families? (see http://particleadventure.org/particl...ess/chart.html ) (this one is probably related to (5))


good luck!
Bo

[infamous]

Originally Posted by Bo

there are MANY fundamental open problems

the following are I think truly fundamental querstions, (not just 'ow a problem we haven't solved, but that can't take long')
1) Why is space (at low energies for the string theorists..) four dimensional? and why is it (1+3) (so one timelike, and three spacelike dimensions) what are -on a fundamental level- the reasons why time behaves differnently then space?
2) What is dark energy? What is dark matter?
3) how can we unite general relativity and quantum field theory?
4) Why does Nature appear to follow some logic, given by conservation laws and symmetries (these two are strongly related)
5) what fixes natures constants? are they realy constant?
6) what is (quantum) information?
7) is mathematics the correct language to describe nature?
8) why are there three leptonic families? (see http://particleadventure.org/particl...ess/chart.html ) (this one is probably related to (5))


good luck!
Bo

I would like to add one to the list that I've always found personally perplexing: Action at a distance.

[coldcreation]

Originally Posted by EWright

I'm once again working on my theory and plan on presenting details soon. It may not be correct to call it "one" theory, as I attempt to provide answers to a number of physics/cosmology's unanswered questions. In it I will define the nature of such things as dark energy, dark matter, time, and alternative explanations for some aspects of special relativity.

What is your theory(s)? Why are you waiting so long to spill the beans?
Dark energy? Have you ever seen any, detected any?
Dark matter? The nonbaryonic type?
"alternative explanations for some aspects of special relativity"?
That theory already exists, Its called general relativity.

CC

[Enescu]

" It is not hard to prove a theory wrong or Right with numbers..but to find it in the first place"

Good luck with the black matter .