What is the most important scientific question of our time? [more inside]
posted by Demogorgon on Oct 12, 2009 - 44 answers

Physics-filter: in the context of a diatribe against memorization, a physics professor of mine once mentioned that she fell in love with the discipline because all of modern physics can be derived from a few foundational equations. So, what are they? [more inside]
posted by perissodactyl on Mar 18, 2009 - 16 answers

I’m trying to remember the name of a set of themed encyclopedias for children from my childhood. [more inside]
posted by studentbaker on Mar 9, 2009 - 11 answers

How do you explain God, death, and infinity to a 5-year old? Please recommend a book or online resource for explaining philosophy, existentialism, and other abstract concepts to a young child not yet capable of abstract cognitions. [more inside]
posted by jujube on Sep 13, 2007 - 45 answers

I met a cat in the street tonight and didn't have any ears. I was walking down a quiet street and saw a white cat sitting in the middle of the street, it didn't move as I approached. I got to abaout 10 ft and stopped, and called to it. It came over and was clearly not afraid. It did not have any ears, it had holes where ears would be and the holes were clean, no flaps or raggedy bits. We bonded easy enough, I was able to lift the creature onto my lap, it was purring. It was skinny and I think under fed, certainly my own cats which are lean, are much fuller in body. Why might a cat have no ears ? Is it an act of malice or surgery ? Disese or cruelty ? Birth defect ? It made me very sad.
posted by matholio on Dec 22, 2006 - 18 answers

Help me identify this monster bug. [more inside]
posted by myodometer on Mar 27, 2006 - 20 answers

Why did consciousness evolve? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Jan 25, 2006 - 39 answers

Are there any animals that have evolved a use for radioactivity? If so, what ways is it used? If not, why has this not happened? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Nov 23, 2005 - 32 answers

Many years ago someone told me the recognised term for the kind of involuntary shudder that commonly affects people at rest. You know the kind that spontaneously rocks you, just for a moment, like you are shaking off the ghoulies, like the cliche says 'someone was walking on your grave'? I have since lost this word to time, and searching the internet has brought only partial results. Does anyone know it?
posted by 0bvious on Nov 15, 2005 - 31 answers

What's being done in scientific fields with regards to the search for eternal youth? [more inside]
posted by sjvilla79 on May 1, 2005 - 30 answers

End of the universe scenarios. I'm familiar with the concepts of "heat death" as well as the universe contracting unto another Big Bang. How else might the universe someday become a completely un-survivable place?
posted by scarabic on Sep 9, 2004 - 10 answers

I just got done reading Ishmael by Daniel Quinn for class. Now, I have to find a book that also deals with nature in the same regard to read (ie, we're destroying it- go fix it! Though it could be how nature is ours to control and we should actually exploit it more). Preferable, though not necessary, for my own pleasure would be something that intertwines religion and science with nature (from a negative or positive standpoint) into the book.
posted by jmd82 on Sep 8, 2004 - 15 answers

I've been reading a little about the cicada thing going on and I was feeling a little left out, since they're not gonna really visit us in Seattle too much. It seems like the cicadas and the El Ninos and the tornados and floods never focus on us. Thankful as I am, does anyone know of any environmental event that I can look forward to here (you know, besides that 10.5 earthquake that's been plotting to knock over the Space Needle).
posted by Slimemonster on May 15, 2004 - 18 answers