IMO, Tony's question#2 and #3 aren't really science, rather "metaphysics". <i>Metaphysics: The branch of philosophy asking "what exists?" What entities form this universe? Metaphysical studies can concern difficult, perhaps unanswerable, questions bordering theology. </i><br /><br />Some "Great Unanswered Questions of science" are:<br />1. Can changes be made in the cell and genome to prevent or reverse aging (i.e chromosome repair, etc)?<br />2. What is dark matter and dark energy ?<br />3. Can we build an artifical conciousness ?<br />4. Does sapient life exist elsewhere in the detectable universe?<br />5. Can we build a an artificial fully-functioning higher lifeform (e.g. a primate) from scratch, knowing the genetic code?<br />6. Fully characterize the human genome, describing the function every gene, and the chemical mechanism underlying each function.<br />7. Transmission of information faster than lightspeed.<br />8. Move a macroscopic mass faster than lightspeed.<br />9. Synthesize a economically feasable material capable of room-temperature superconductivity.<br />10. Demonstrate a practical continuous fusion process which generates more energy than it consumes and pumps the surplus energy into the electric grid.<br />11. Demonstrate a viable process of producing km-long fibers composed of continuous carbon tubes (not bundles of short, weaker fibers).<br />12. Demonstrate a commercially viable solar cell with efficiencies above 50%.<br />13. Synthesize working, useful artifical organs (hearts, kidneys, liver, eyes, etc).<br />14. Can we design and use commercially viable synthetic enzymes to cary out chemical reactions?<br />15. What is the physical limit to Moore's Law?<br />16. Demonstrate a process to deep-freeze living humans and then resucitate them to life, unharmed.<br />17. Fully describe the evolutionary history of man, including all the intermediate and dead-end branches.<br />18. When did language originate in the evolution of man?<br />19. Why does the human evolut <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>