Which fundamental physics question is most important?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswitha...8ee91578c1
EXCERPT: If gravity itself isn't a fundamental force, but rather an emergent one, many of the mysteries of space and time may have a different solution than the ones we're presently seeking.
Despite all we've learned about physics, science, and the Universe before us, there are still some incredibly fundamental questions whose answers are still elusive. Each one is a challenge to humanity, and the answers are thoroughly uncertain, with tremendous implications depending on what the answer actually is. From our cosmic birth to the fundamental laws governing everything, and from the origin of life to what actually makes up the Universe, there is so much left to discover. If we could only know the answer to one, which one should we choose? That's what our Patreon supporter Chris Shaw wants to know, as he asks:
If you could have a complete answer to one of these 5 questions what would it be?
Did cosmic inflation happen or was there another process?
Is earth the only place in the cosmos with life?
How [can we] merge general relativity and quantum mechanics?
What is dark energy and dark matter?
How did life begin on Earth?
These are all incredible questions, and they're all open questions that probe our deepest mysteries about the Universe. Here's why each one matters.
MORE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswitha...8ee91578c1
The Best Explanation for Everything in the Universe
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...ng/548774/
EXCERPT: . . . String theory (or, more technically, M-theory) is often described as the leading candidate for the theory of everything in our universe. But there’s no empirical evidence for it, or for any alternative ideas about how gravity might unify with the rest of the fundamental forces. Why, then, is string/M-theory given the edge over the others?
MORE: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...ng/548774/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswitha...8ee91578c1
EXCERPT: If gravity itself isn't a fundamental force, but rather an emergent one, many of the mysteries of space and time may have a different solution than the ones we're presently seeking.
Despite all we've learned about physics, science, and the Universe before us, there are still some incredibly fundamental questions whose answers are still elusive. Each one is a challenge to humanity, and the answers are thoroughly uncertain, with tremendous implications depending on what the answer actually is. From our cosmic birth to the fundamental laws governing everything, and from the origin of life to what actually makes up the Universe, there is so much left to discover. If we could only know the answer to one, which one should we choose? That's what our Patreon supporter Chris Shaw wants to know, as he asks:
If you could have a complete answer to one of these 5 questions what would it be?
Did cosmic inflation happen or was there another process?
Is earth the only place in the cosmos with life?
How [can we] merge general relativity and quantum mechanics?
What is dark energy and dark matter?
How did life begin on Earth?
These are all incredible questions, and they're all open questions that probe our deepest mysteries about the Universe. Here's why each one matters.
MORE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswitha...8ee91578c1
The Best Explanation for Everything in the Universe
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...ng/548774/
EXCERPT: . . . String theory (or, more technically, M-theory) is often described as the leading candidate for the theory of everything in our universe. But there’s no empirical evidence for it, or for any alternative ideas about how gravity might unify with the rest of the fundamental forces. Why, then, is string/M-theory given the edge over the others?
MORE: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...ng/548774/