Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Oct 27, 2004 14:44:12 GMT -6
This is from New Scientist Magazine and is floating around the net currently...
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[1] How did life begin?
This topic speculates on the possibility of RNA being the precurser
to DNA's. The original theory describes that a primordial soup is
responsible in gathering together the elements to form lifeforms.
But the theory failed to adress the issue of DNA codes for the
proteins. DNA codes for proteins that catalyze the chemical
reactions that replicate DNA. Its a cycle. So there must have been
something before DNA. Or did life originate from comets and
asteroids?
[2] How many species are there?
Currently estimates put the figure of formally named species to
1.7million. There are a variety of species total estimates which
range from 5 million to 30 million. Insects forms the majority of
the species identified.
[3] Are we still evolving?
Evolution has two cornerstone: heritable variation and natural
selection. There are also a variety of non-natural elements that
have significantly influenced human evolution for the past thousand
years or so. Even daily inventions such as spectacles have changed
the way our organs evolve. The invention of spectacles have allowed
myopia to proliferate, dairy farming has given adults the ability to
digest milk sugar and stone tools have extended our ancestors
physical capabilities without evolving bigger muscles.
[4] Why do we sleep?
THe two element of sleep is REM sleep and non-REM sleep that
describes semi-unconcious sleep patterns and deep-unconcious sleep
respectively. THe real reason of sleep might be to help the brain to
rest and recharge as other organs such as the liver are documentad
to continue working while we sleep. REM is thought to be the state
when the brain is booting up to test out the repairs made during non-
REM sleep.
[5] Is intelligence inevitable?
Intelligence is just another adaptation? This topic deals with
adaptation to the surrounding, and predictability. Intelligence
itself creates unpredictability, so where do humans stand out from
the rest? Positive feedbacks? Why did true intelligence have only
evolved only once? This seems to be one of the most thought-
provoking question.
[6] What is consciousness?
Consciousness is the feeling of being aware of ourselves and the
surrounding. Consciousness is supposed to be the border between any
two person, the line between humans and others and the world.
Scientist now hope to explaing consciouness through brain imaging
and neuroscience. The difference between unconscious and conscious
brain works. The hard problem of consciousness describes questions
on the need to feel anything in the first place, why do we even feel
or see or watch? Or is consciousness just an illusion?
[7] What is sex for?
Its a way of passing on the genes and ensuring variation in the next
generation. 99.9% multicellular species reproduce sexually. Without
sex to shuffle the genetic pack, species acumulate harmful mutations
and quickly go extinct. Asexual organism doesnt last long with an
average of a few thes of thousand years. Sex is here because it
evolved to be here, but why?
[8]Can we prevent ageing?
THis is an open question, while we cant reverse ageing 100% we can
slow it down, but to what exent?
[9] What is life?
Living, replicate, participate in evolution, why do we exist? The
articles says that to know what life is, we need an alien lifeform
for comparison. Not necesarily from space. Scientist are trying to
reporduce life from scratch. Synthesizing life in test tubes. Only
time will tell.
[10] IS there life on other planets?
IS is a question of life existing somewhere else, or 'do we want
life to exist somewhere else'. We must answer the definition of life
question to categorize any new ET we want to find.
---------------
No definite answers abound as we are still ever searching and seeking the truth. I don't think we will ever know or have the ability to comprehend if we did.
-------------------
[1] How did life begin?
This topic speculates on the possibility of RNA being the precurser
to DNA's. The original theory describes that a primordial soup is
responsible in gathering together the elements to form lifeforms.
But the theory failed to adress the issue of DNA codes for the
proteins. DNA codes for proteins that catalyze the chemical
reactions that replicate DNA. Its a cycle. So there must have been
something before DNA. Or did life originate from comets and
asteroids?
[2] How many species are there?
Currently estimates put the figure of formally named species to
1.7million. There are a variety of species total estimates which
range from 5 million to 30 million. Insects forms the majority of
the species identified.
[3] Are we still evolving?
Evolution has two cornerstone: heritable variation and natural
selection. There are also a variety of non-natural elements that
have significantly influenced human evolution for the past thousand
years or so. Even daily inventions such as spectacles have changed
the way our organs evolve. The invention of spectacles have allowed
myopia to proliferate, dairy farming has given adults the ability to
digest milk sugar and stone tools have extended our ancestors
physical capabilities without evolving bigger muscles.
[4] Why do we sleep?
THe two element of sleep is REM sleep and non-REM sleep that
describes semi-unconcious sleep patterns and deep-unconcious sleep
respectively. THe real reason of sleep might be to help the brain to
rest and recharge as other organs such as the liver are documentad
to continue working while we sleep. REM is thought to be the state
when the brain is booting up to test out the repairs made during non-
REM sleep.
[5] Is intelligence inevitable?
Intelligence is just another adaptation? This topic deals with
adaptation to the surrounding, and predictability. Intelligence
itself creates unpredictability, so where do humans stand out from
the rest? Positive feedbacks? Why did true intelligence have only
evolved only once? This seems to be one of the most thought-
provoking question.
[6] What is consciousness?
Consciousness is the feeling of being aware of ourselves and the
surrounding. Consciousness is supposed to be the border between any
two person, the line between humans and others and the world.
Scientist now hope to explaing consciouness through brain imaging
and neuroscience. The difference between unconscious and conscious
brain works. The hard problem of consciousness describes questions
on the need to feel anything in the first place, why do we even feel
or see or watch? Or is consciousness just an illusion?
[7] What is sex for?
Its a way of passing on the genes and ensuring variation in the next
generation. 99.9% multicellular species reproduce sexually. Without
sex to shuffle the genetic pack, species acumulate harmful mutations
and quickly go extinct. Asexual organism doesnt last long with an
average of a few thes of thousand years. Sex is here because it
evolved to be here, but why?
[8]Can we prevent ageing?
THis is an open question, while we cant reverse ageing 100% we can
slow it down, but to what exent?
[9] What is life?
Living, replicate, participate in evolution, why do we exist? The
articles says that to know what life is, we need an alien lifeform
for comparison. Not necesarily from space. Scientist are trying to
reporduce life from scratch. Synthesizing life in test tubes. Only
time will tell.
[10] IS there life on other planets?
IS is a question of life existing somewhere else, or 'do we want
life to exist somewhere else'. We must answer the definition of life
question to categorize any new ET we want to find.
---------------
No definite answers abound as we are still ever searching and seeking the truth. I don't think we will ever know or have the ability to comprehend if we did.