It seems to many that in the 21st century science knows everything. Humanity is making amazing discoveries. People are going to fly to Mars in the near future. Engineering scientists have created robots that can replace humans in many ways. Not only people are getting smarter every day, but also things around us: shoes, refrigerators, telephones. However, at the same time, scientists still cannot answer the simplest questions …
1. How does turbulence work?
Probably everyone is familiar with the words of the pilot when he asks to fasten the seat belts, because it is possible to get into areas of high turbulence. With so much safety time in the air, we don't even bother to finally figure out how this turbulence actually works.
Turbulence is so incomprehensible that even Einstein once said: “I want someone to explain quantum physics to me before I die. Well, after death, I hope the Lord will tell me how turbulence works."
The problem is aggravated by the fact that in order to study the origin of this mysterious phenomenon, a special installation is needed, in which scientists must install a huge jet engine. This is very problematic to create, and even if it succeeds, it is not a fact that artificial turbulence will be the same as in nature.
2. Why do cats purr?
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We've learned a long time ago that cats don't always purr only when they feel good. And this is far from the main intrigue in this matter. The main question is how they do it, since they do not have a separate organ for generating such sounds and vibrations. That is, the exact origin of the purr is still unknown.
Presumably, feline purring sounds can be explained by the special structure and stretching of the larynx, but there is no evidence of this. But scientists were able to establish that the frequency of purr corresponds to that at which bone tissue is actively regenerated and wounds are healed. So this is probably their secret superpower, like sharks' super nose and super speed and cheetahs.
3. Why do we fall in sleep?
First, let's define what we mean. Everyone went through it. You fall asleep and already start to "fly", you no longer control your thoughts, and they begin to generate sleep and then bam … Suddenly, you suddenly "fall" and wake up. It is not even clear how to call such a phenomenon … For this there is a difficult-to-translate phrase "hypnicjerk", but we will still run into the question: "Why is this happening?"
Of course there is no answer, but there are several theories. One by one, the body developed such a reaction because in ancient times we had to sleep on branches, cliffs or at any other "convenient" heights. This happens exactly when a person is just falling asleep, in other words, the body is completely relaxed.
That is, it is a direct mechanism that saves us from falling from a height during sleep. But a person did not sleep on branches so often that such a clear reflex was developed. Other scientists believe that this is a slowdown in all processes in the body, but again, there is no evidence.
4. How does a magnet work?
Magnetism is the most common phenomenon in our universe. It is closely related to electricity and chemistry. Charged particles under the influence of a magnetic field can move objects at a great distance. They are also "divided" into positively and negatively charged ones.
There is no worthy scientific explanation for magnetism in the world, and it all comes down to the phrase "this is such a wonderful thing, it has such and such properties, and we will take it for granted."
There is a whole laboratory at MIT dedicated to the study of just one single magnetism. We know what is happening, but we have no idea how it happens. The particles create a certain charge (+ or -), but it is not clear why.
5. Why does a giraffe have a long neck ?
Many believe that such a long body part gives these herbivores some advantage, and God's will is all (in this case, evolution is to blame). But this is not the case, because they eat certain leaves and not at a certain height.
That is, they do not need to climb high for food, sometimes they have to bend over and walk for a long time in this position. Strange, but the scientific world still does not have an explanation for their evolution.
There is a theory that the long neck was a side effect in the mating race. The female chose the one with a longer neck, but today this behavior is not observed for giraffes. Another theory is that the neck had to be developed due to the growth of the limbs in order to maintain proportions. But, judging by the photo, giraffes do not care about the proportions and theories of smart people with glasses.
6. Why do birds migrate ?
We know that birds migrate south to lay eggs and survive the winter. But what we don't know is how they do it. Migration is one of the most mystical mysteries in the animal kingdom. And it seems to be nothing complicated, attach the sensor and sit and watch. But it's not that simple.
For example, cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, and then fly away on their own business. Growing up, young cuckoos fly away to their native lands without any outside help. Scientists believe this can be explained by the position of the stars or the Earth's magnetic field, which they remember at birth.
Then we can conclude that birds have a built-in camera, a huge memory in their small craniums and perfect vision, which already seems completely absurd.
7. What causes gravity?
Newton is the "gravitational pioneer" who discovered Earth's gravity over 350 years ago. During this time, science has advanced far ahead, but knowledge in this area has not increased much. What did you learn about gravity after being told about it by your parents as a child? At best, how to calculate it using the formula.
Gravity is very difficult to study because it is all-pervading. She not only keeps us on the surface of the Earth, she is like glue for the entire universe. And it is so weak (10 ^ 40 times weaker than electromagnetism) that it is simply pointless to study it in a laboratory. But at the same time, it is thanks to her that people and cows do not fly.
8. How do we remember?
Do you know where your kidneys or lungs are? But even 100 years ago, people fell into a stupor at such questions. And now all bodybuilders know where and what muscle and ligament they have. But the most mysterious organs are the heart and brain.
The person is pretty good at understanding the brain. We know where and what areas, and what they are responsible for. We even know how neurons behave in individual cases, but we cannot figure out the process of acquiring and storing memory.
For 100 years we have found that memory is definitely connected with neurons and the processes that take place between them. Neurons are like blobs that connect to each other to form a memory. It turns out that some kind of magic …
9. Why do women get menopause?
Menopause is a real challenge to Mother Nature. Reproduction is a natural process in the animal world that allows you to leave offspring. But human females lose this ability by the age of forty-five. And the scientific community has no idea why. From an evolutionary point of view, it is very impractical to lose the ability to reproduce forever.
One of the explanations is built around social consciousness: a time comes for a woman when she is obliged to pay attention to her grandchildren, not children. Thus, nature forbids treating your grandchildren as children, and even more so having new ones.
10. What is sleep?
And again there have been many studies, experiments, experiments, surveys, and no results have been achieved. It is generally accepted that sleep is the result of a day lived. But there is no evidence for this.
How else to explain that long-forgotten memories sometimes dream in a dream? For example, the other day I had a dream about a childhood friend I had long forgotten about. It's hard to even imagine what he got in my head? But I haven't thought about him since the first class.
There are many theories, and they are all popular and difficult to explain. The only thing that scientific advice agrees on is that sleep is a complex process in our brain, when absolutely all areas are involved. The rest is a mystery that can only be explained with the help of magic! True, today it is unpopular, and people are demanding scientific proof …