There are so many things in life that we just don’t know or understand. Here is a list of 6 science questions that you’ve probably wondered about, and the answers to those tough questions by top scientists.
Question 1 – Does the Universe Have a Purpose?
Answer: Steven Weinberg, theoretical physicist, University of Texas at Austin: Ever since people started thinking systematically about the world, there has been a widespread impression that the universe exists partly to serve the interests of humanity. That is, that nature is arranged to make it possible for human being to be here. Galen, the Greek medical scientist and philosopher, said, “The reason the sun is where it is relative to the Earth is so that the Earth would not be too hot or too cold for us.” That is a very crude example, but there is a general impression that we somehow have a special significance built into nature. I don’t think that’s true.
Question 2 – Is Immortality Possible?
Answer: Cynthia Kenyon, biologist, U.C. San Francisco: I think that it might be possible. I’ll tell you why. You can think about the life span of a cell as the integral of two vectors, in a sense: the force of destruction and the force of prevention, maintenance, and repair. In most animals, the force of destruction has still got the edge. But why not bump up the genes just a little bit, the maintenance genes? All you have to do is set the maintenance level a little higher. It doesn’t have to be much higher. It just has to be a little higher, so that it counterbalances the force of destruction. And don’t forget, the germ lineage is immortal. So it’s possible at least in principle. Of course, immortality is impossible if you consider the chance that you could be hit by a car. Continue Reading
