“To highlight the most typical issues, the questions must be challenging enough, intriguing enough, and inviting everyone to engage in contemplation,” stated editor-in-chief Donald Kennedy.
1. What is the universe made of?
In recent decades, scientists have discovered that ordinary matter, which constitutes stars, planets, and even humans, accounts for only 5% of everything in the universe. The remaining portion consists of dark matter and dark energy, phenomena that scientists are still investigating.
2. What is the biological basis of consciousness?
In the 17th century, French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes claimed that the mind and body are entirely separate. This led to a debate about the nature of consciousness among other philosophers.
Today, scientists argue that consciousness arises from the properties and structures of neurons in the brain. Experiments to uncover these characteristics have only just begun.
3. How long can human lifespan be extended?
Experiments to extend lifespan in yeast, worms, and mice have convinced some scientists that humans could eventually celebrate their hundredth birthdays. Other scientists argue, however, that human life will have more limitations. Regardless of the outcome, the prospect of extending human lifespan will “have profound social impacts,” noted researcher Jennifer Couzin.
4. How does the Earth’s mantle function?
The revolutionary hypothesis that the Earth’s crust is divided into many small plates jostling against each other on the surface of our planet is still too simplistic. “There are an additional 6,300 kilometers of iron and rock below these tectonic plates, continuously stirring up thermal activity within,” Richard A. Kerr writes.
As scientists delve deeper into the Earth using more complex tools, they find that the machinery of the planet is much more intricate beneath the crust.
5. Are we alone in the universe?
Scientific calculations suggest no: There are hundreds of billions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy, and hundreds of billions of other galaxies in the universe. Closest to us, scientists have discovered 150 planets orbiting stars.
In summary, scientists believe that the universe is teeming with places capable of supporting intelligent life. “The question is when, and whether we will ever have the technology to reach out and touch those civilizations,” Richard A. Kerr stated.
6. Where and how did life on Earth originate?
Recent experiments suggest that the first life on Earth may have originated from RNA, rather than DNA and the proteins essential for all living organisms today.
While some scientists focus on understanding this model, others shift to exploring how a lifeless Earth gave rise to an RNA world. Other researchers debate where these lives and deaths intersected. Deep beneath ocean vents, tidal pools, frozen seas? Or did bacteria from Mars arrive on Earth 4 billion years ago?
7. Is it possible to find an effective HIV vaccine?
Researchers identified the HIV virus as the cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) two decades ago. Since then, the search for an effective vaccine for this deadly infectious disease has received more funding than any vaccine in history.
The search for improved measures continues. Skeptics argue that a vaccine will never be found. Even if successful, they may become ineffective due to the unpredictable mutations of the virus.
8. How hot will the greenhouse world get?
Scientists are well aware that the world is gradually warming and that humans are responsible for most of this climate change. However, they know less about how much the Earth will warm as greenhouse gas emissions are projected to double this century.
Research models indicate that the Earth will warm by at least 1.5 degrees Celsius, potentially reaching up to 11 degrees Celsius. More modern research methods are needed to predict future temperatures.
9. What can replace oil? When?
Oil prices and energy demand are rising. Oil reserves continue to dwindle, and ice sheets are melting. The time has come for humanity to transition from oil to alternative energy sources. While alternative energy sources are available, they need to be harnessed and processed efficiently to replace oil. Advances in nanotechnology may hold the answer. But will they arrive in time to avert an energy crisis?
10. Will Malthus continue to be wrong?
In 1798, British economist Thomas Malthus stated that global population growth would always be constrained by war, poverty, disease, and other disasters. More than two centuries later, the global population has increased sixfold, exceeding 6 billion people, defying all of Malthus’s predictions. Demographers project that the world population could reach 10 billion by 2100. Can this trend be curbed? One of the challenges is how to transition society to a more sustainable consumption and development mechanism, noted Erik Stokstad.
