13 things that do not make sense.

Not sure if this is the correct sub-forum to post this, but anyway, here it is.

From NewScientist online:
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/space/mg18524911.600

13 things that do not make sense

1. The placebo effect.
2. The Universe’s CBR horizon problem.
3. Ultra energetic cosmic rays.
4. Belfast homeopathy results.
5. Dark matter (is it real?).
6. Viking's methane (hydrocarbons on Mars).
7. Tetra-neutrons found.
8. The Pioneer anomaly.
9. Dark energy.
10. The Kuiper cliff (and Planet “X”).
11. The Wow signal (admittedly this one might not be such a “wow”).
12. Not-so-constant constants.
13. Cold fusion.

 

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Hum,
i could add:
14) why do we need 17 arbitrary `fundamental constants`/numbers i.e. Planck's constant, that allow our universe to be as it is.
15) How exactly do particles acquire their different masses?
16) why is pi such an irrational and transcendental number?
17) How is it that we can ask these questions about the universe? and more importantly possibly know `everything` about the universe.

 

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18. why does it burn when I pee? (joking)
19. what’s the deal with ovalteen, the jar isn’t oval, why not call it roundteen?

 

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They are all, if not exotic, clear evidence we still have a lot to learn. I am amused that each generation of scientists feels that they have almost all the major issues cleared up, yet the best understandings keep unravelling.

 

As we develop bigger and bigger telescopes the universe has to grow larger and larger to escape our understanding

 

hi...

 

Is this the same reason fundamental particles get smaller and smaller, and dimensions proliferate?

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The Kuiper cliff caused by the planet X? i always associate the name "planet X" with BS. I'm sure there must be another explanation

 

what about PHI? Thats just too big a coincidence.

 

If you judge of some possibility only because of how it is named, then it is not very objective. And I think you know that.

 

Well, you know all the prophecies about planet X going to collide with Earth and destroy it. It never occurred. I knew that

 

those prophecies called it "planet X", for the same reason the name "X files" exist. As in X is an unkown. The reason scientists called it 'planet X' is because X is 10 in roman numerals. Why must there be such an annoying coincidence.

 

if the universe goes on for ever,(1plus1plus1plu......you get the picture!) then it seems to me that it can be brocken down in size 1/2 1/4 1/8 forever! and this leeds my limited grey matter to conclude that there is no answer to these questions just more questions! and the true frontier for human kind is in the dimensional (3,rd 4th ect)understanding not the linear !

 

a'men brother, there is no answer without the question, therefore in my eyes the question is the answer.

I think all of these questions of space prooves that our primal "want to know everything" functions still dictates our way of thinking down here in our reality.

 

or we could just agree to disagree with the universe and make it follow our rules instead of trying to figure the darn thing out.

 

There is only one thing that will never make sense no matter how far into the future or how extraordinary in technology we are.

Life.

 

From a biological or from a phylosophical point of view?

 

I don't really understand this. Apart from the placebo effect, and the Belfast homeopathy result, these are unexplained results from the scientific realm - we simply don't have the correct hypothesis yet. A similar list in 1900 might have stated the photoelectric effect and the negative result (speed of light in different orientations test) by Michelson.

The placebo effect does in fact fall within the area of genuine mystery. It is linked with (to my mind) the ultimate mystery of all, and yet which was unaccountably left off the list of 13 - the mystery of consciousness.

So a study showed a positive result for homeopathy? What about the full-view-of-the-cameras Horizon (BBC science prog) double-blind rigorous test which showed no effect whatsoever? I can't speak for the Belfast result, so I suspect they did not sufficiently eliminate the aforementioned "placebo effect". But the Horizon test was quite conclusive, because of the full exploration of every aspect of how alternative results were eliminated. Result: ultra-diluted water has no effect.

 

The placebo effect...ummm... I can't tell you, perhaps there's some hormone released that activates some regeneration mechanism in the body. BTW, the reverse effect is called the nocebo effect
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocebo_effect

 

1 makes perfect sense.
and 4 is just false results. 4 relates to 1 in that its also a placebo affect.