"Big Questions"
1. How doth human language evolve?
Some say that language is genetic while others argue that "spoken words are actually an outgrowth of other human skills, such as planning, memory, and logic". Luc Steels, for example, states that she believes that language was a "cultural breakthrough". Basically, the parts of the brain that are responsible for language are not very well understood.
2. Why do we sleep?
One popular theory about why we need sleep is that sleep removes (or replenishes) a substance that builds up (or gets reduced) in the brain while we are awake. The reason some might argue with this theory is because of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, during which the brain is completely active. Scientists are still not sure why we need to sleep, but it is a clear necessity.
3. How does a fertilized egg become a human?
Although biologists used to believe that cellular proteins carried the instructions for fertilization, they have realized that protein is just a substance used in the process of fertilization and is esentially useless without a plan or instructions. These instructions for how to build an organism are now known to be in a cell’s DNA, but we have yet to learn how to read them.
4. What causes ice ages?
The current theory on ice ages is that "irregularities in Earth’s orbit change how much solar energy it absorbs, resulting in sudden cooling". However, over the past few decades, studies have shown that these orbital fluctuations only affect solar energy by 1 percent or less, which clearly cannot produce a massive climate change.
Studies tell us that ice ages are also related to greenhouse-gas concentrations. Figuring out and understanding changes in greenhouse-gas concentrations could tell us a great amount about global warming and how we could solve the problem. This would require us knowing how greenhouse gases functions in prehuman times, something which we simply cannot know. Therefore, the question remains unanswered.
Some say that language is genetic while others argue that "spoken words are actually an outgrowth of other human skills, such as planning, memory, and logic". Luc Steels, for example, states that she believes that language was a "cultural breakthrough". Basically, the parts of the brain that are responsible for language are not very well understood.
2. Why do we sleep?
One popular theory about why we need sleep is that sleep removes (or replenishes) a substance that builds up (or gets reduced) in the brain while we are awake. The reason some might argue with this theory is because of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, during which the brain is completely active. Scientists are still not sure why we need to sleep, but it is a clear necessity.
3. How does a fertilized egg become a human?
Although biologists used to believe that cellular proteins carried the instructions for fertilization, they have realized that protein is just a substance used in the process of fertilization and is esentially useless without a plan or instructions. These instructions for how to build an organism are now known to be in a cell’s DNA, but we have yet to learn how to read them.
4. What causes ice ages?
The current theory on ice ages is that "irregularities in Earth’s orbit change how much solar energy it absorbs, resulting in sudden cooling". However, over the past few decades, studies have shown that these orbital fluctuations only affect solar energy by 1 percent or less, which clearly cannot produce a massive climate change.
Studies tell us that ice ages are also related to greenhouse-gas concentrations. Figuring out and understanding changes in greenhouse-gas concentrations could tell us a great amount about global warming and how we could solve the problem. This would require us knowing how greenhouse gases functions in prehuman times, something which we simply cannot know. Therefore, the question remains unanswered.
posted by Nataly @ 6:58 AM
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