What is the hardest question about the universe that scientists could not answer?

Question

There are at least 3 questions on the short list, they were not able to answer conclusively.

Answer 1

setting aside the philosophical issues and taking this question strictly within scientific contexts, probably one of the hardest questions, if not the hardest yet, is related to the question of whether the universe as we know it would forever expand till the end of time (because we know right now that it is expanding), or will everything's mass and gravitational pull would be quite enough to "pull" everything back at some point in time such that the Big Bang sort of reverses itself (the current scientific paradigm agrees with the Big Bang theory).

the catch here isn't in the question of the forever-expansion or the eventual "Big Crunch" of the universe, but of where to find all the mass that is in question (remember, with enough mass, the Big Crunch will ensue). problem is, if i'm not mistaken, if we adhere to Einstein's Relativity (which we do), there isn't even enough DETECTED mass in the universe to actually hold itself together. at the quantity of mass scientists have been able to confirm, the universe should be chaotic, instead of peaceful and following an orderly behavior. without enough mass, there wouldn't be enough gravitational pull to hold the heavenly bodies steady in their "places", whatever they may be doing.

the true hard question here is actually: "what makes up the missing mass?", because as we can see, the universe is itself NOT chaotic and not falling into pieces or something. this would mean that there actually is something in the universe (or in space) that has mass that we cannot yet see or detect, and that there's enough of it to hold the universe together. scientists have referred to this "missing matter" as "dark matter", since we cannot yet see or detect it, but we somehow know its there. as far as i know, scientists haven't been able to pinpoint what dark matter actually is.

Answer 2

Doesn’t anyone read any more? Super strings (how 90's!), Gravity's "unexplained" weakness, are there other planets (!?), no matter prior to the big bang!!?? (what ?????)
1) All present matter existed prior to the "big bang"and then some!)
2) There are hundreds of known worlds circling suns much like ours.
3) Not only has gravity's apparent weakness been explained it has been explained very well. SEE "M" theory

I'm ashamed to think that the future will be welcomed by people who don’t know how much there is already known because they can't or won't read! Please: go to the library. Pick up a magazine or a newspaper. get off myspace put away the PS3 and learn something. My 6 year old knows what a "brane" (no not a brain) is, do you?? How old are you?? Watch an episode of NOVA or turn on the science channel, please; before you say things here that make no sense. I am sorry if I'm coming across as rude but you should be embarrassed! REALY!

Answer 3

Some of the points beyond the reasoning of the scientists are just like what came first egg or hen? Everybody has zeroed in on Big Bang theory for the cause of the universe. but what is the cause of the dust and gaseous clouds that enabled big bang? Where did they come from? If some other galaxies exist, how did they exist? Is there a creator? Where is the origin?
Religion only has answered this so for, citing there is a power which has helped for creation? scientists still in search of the answer.
Ramachandran V.

Answer 4

There are two major problems right now in physics.
One is what is the fundamental particle of matter. We all know atoms are made up of electrons protons and sometimes neutrons, and that those particles are made of quarks. What is the base smallest particle in existence. Only with funding for better technology will we ever find this out experimentally. maybe it's "strings" or "super strings", but no one knows positively.....yet.

The other problem is how to demonstrate how all the forces of nature interact. There are four fundamental forces (all other "forces" can be distilled down to the interactions of these 4): electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force, the strong nuclear force and gravity, which is the weakest of the lot. Right now the first three can be explained and demonstrated how they interact with each other, but getting gravity into the picture has been the Holy Grail of physics for many decades. After relativity, this is what Einstein worked on until the day he died (literally), but never came up with a complete theory.

Answer 5

There are lots of questions that scientists could not answer like Can we able to go on Mars? Is there any other planets? Is there alliens? Is their a planet like Earth where we can survive? What other things are in our universe? Is their other Solar Systems? How the Universe was form? and its existence.

Answer 6

Does God exist? if God does exists then what was God before he became God....... Cycle continues. Although Dan Brown's explanation In Angels and Demons sounded rational enough but then it is a work of fiction so the question is yet to be answered. But then the hardest question to me would be if God exists did God have a choice in creating our universe? Now that is a question that I would like see remain unanswered for obvious reasons

Answer 7

Many of the answers above give problems that science cannot solve RIGHT NOW... however I can think of only two questions that cannot be answered by science ever, and that is WHY and IF. Why was the universe created, and If there is a god who did it. These must be left to faith.

Answer 8

There is no answer that cannot be answered truly. Because if we can think of the question, we can come up with an answer to satisfy. In my opinion, the question you just asked would be one of the hardest to answer. Or another philisophical question like, what do we not know?

Answer 9

1) Does the Universe end or is it forever beginning?
2) Are there other universes?
3) Who made the universe, why, and what is our role in it if any?

Answer 10

The question "Why"? And I know that many of them must wonder about it as individuals, though the question "Why?", being the basis of philosophy, technically is outside the province of science, a discipline aimed only at determining "How?" [Don't bother'em! Sounds to me like they're having a hell of a time even figuring out HOW it all happened.}