Talk:List of unsolved problems in physics
What about Bell's theorem and Allais effect which aren't exactly unsolved problems, but do need to be categorized as something, other than "general physics"? linas 16:36, 1 May 2005 (UTC)
I believe that many of the superstring theories should be there, seeing as how many of them are unsolved as well.
- Those theories are just explanations, not observable problems. Tzarius 05:29, 13 July 2005 (UTC)
Galaxy rotation problem
To claim that this is a separate problem from dark matter is strange indeed. I am going to remove it again, but please let me know if anyone has any objections and from whence they originate. Joshuaschroeder 06:34, 15 May 2005 (UTC)
The template
The template on this page is kind of a self-reference. Anywhere else we can put it? Andre (talk) 00:28, May 30, 2005 (UTC)
- Your right, I think this talk page is a good home for it. - SimonP 03:06, Jun 10, 2005 (UTC)
matter and antimatter
if there are the same amount of antimatter and matter, the universe would just be left with annihilation between matter and antimatter everyday, and at the end, radiation and energy would be the only things left in the universe.
- Not necessarily. Matter and antimatter require very close contact before they can do anything. Stars and galaxies are really, extremely, very far apart. Tzarius 05:26, 13 July 2005 (UTC)
- It would annihilate against the interstellar medium. Not that this has anything to do with the article... -- CYD
Gravitational radiation
Deleted text:
- Gravitational waves: Is it possible to construct a device to detect the gravitational waves emitted by, for example, a pair of inspiralling neutron stars? Such a device would be invaluable for observational astronomy.
Yes it is, and it has been done. See Category:Gravitational wave telescopes.
- That's true, but LIGO hasn't actually detected anything yet, and B-mode CMB polarization is a long way off. I'll try to reinsert it in a better form. –Joke137 17:33, 19 July 2005 (UTC)
- Go for it. My objection is that the above text implies that LIGO and the other items in the above category do not exist. "Will gravitational waves be detected?" may be a better question. "Do gravitation waves exist?" can also be asked, but do note that GR itself is being questioned in that case. (See the tag is just added to the black hole article for an idea of how to handle that.)
- I acknowledge the issues that you cite. However, the question as written became moot once ground was broken for LIGO. --EMS | Talk 18:52, 19 July 2005 (UTC)
Contrived questions
Some of the question formulations in this article seem fairly contrived and forced. For example:
- Fusion power: Is it possible to construct a practical nuclear reactor that is powered by nuclear fusion rather than nuclear fission?
This doesnt seem like one of the great unanswered questions in physics at all. There are plenty of examples of fusion reactors found in nature, they are called stars. Making a device which harnesses a well-known process to physics falls far more into the realm of engineering than great unanswered questions.
Here's another example:
- Grand unification theory: Can the laws of physics be unified?
Is that really a helpful entry? It doesnt address any real problem and seems like the question formulation was a forced after thought to the subject matter. As is typical of Wikipedia, the content is clearly symptomatic of many small disjoint additions. I think this page needs a rewrite listing fewer problems and a paragraph giving each a brief background of the current situation and from where the problem originates. Here is the format that I had in mind.
Magnetic Monopoles Current equations in electromagnetic theory treat the Electric Field and Magnetic Field symmetrically except for the presence of an electric charge and the absence of a magnetic charge. The existance of a magnetic monopole would give an elegant balance to these equations and is predicted by several grand unified theories. So far a magnetic monopole has never been experimentally observed.
No need for a literal question to give rise to the problem. 129.42.208.182 20:23, 19 July 2005 (UTC)