10 Of The Biggest Scientific Mysteries Around The World

1. What is the Universe made out of?

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Dark matter which makes up most of the Universe (around 66%), yet scientists cannot actually figure out what dark matter/energy is. It's not observable, meaning it's hard to discover more about it and so the exact nature of it still remains one of the biggest scientific mysteries ever.

2. How and why do we have consciousness?

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Humans have a constant thought of complex consciousness. But the question is how and why? These profound philosophical questions still baffle scientists all around the world today. Why and how do we have this ability for such deep thoughts and emotions?

3. What happens beyond a black holes

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The nature of black holes is such a complex study in astrophysics. But the idea that this black hole is an entrance to nothingness, not even light is dumfounding. Light and matter can disappear into nothing and the true nature of how this works is something science hasn't yet managed to figure out.

4. Where do ultra-high cosmic rays come from?

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Another mystery that science hasn't been able to figure out is the origin of the ultra-high energy cosmic rays. They are essentially a group of charged particles that travel close to the speed of light. Scientists cannot figure out how these came about and researchers are trying to figure out the mysteries surrounding it.

5. How advanced are 'aliens'

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The question now doesn't seem to be 'do aliens exist', as signs that scientists have confirmed extra-terrestrial life. But what these beings or micro-organisms look and behave like is something we have no idea about. Alien life is a total mystery to scientists!

6. What lives in the 'twilight zone' of the ocean?

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The Twilight Zone of the ocean extends from around 200 meters to 1000 meters below the surface of the ocean. But the harsh environment means that it is an area that scientists remain very much in the dark about. Yet it is believed that a lot of ocean life resides there!

7. Is time the same around the Universe?

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The concept of time is one that remains a huge mystery even to scientists. Although the concept of hours and the 24-hour clock are essentially human constructs, time in terms of day and night and aging does exist. But is the existence of time the same around the universe?

8. How and why are we here?

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The Big Bang theory has been confirmed by scientists, but there is still so much that scientists do not know. The origins of the beginning of earth and how and why we came into existence are still something that cannot be categorically confirmed. There are tonnes of theories, but no definite answers.

9. If Venus was once like Earth... what happened to it?

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Scientists believe that Venus was once like Earth, a planet that would have been suitable for human life for example, with water, vegetation, and similar temperatures. But something happened to Venus to lead it to the planet is today and scientists do not know why.

10. What really causes Alzheimer's?

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Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease of the brain and it's so complex and diverse that scientists continue very uninformed on the topic. Whilst research is being done, there is still so much that remains unknown. Scientists cannot seem to find the real cause of Alzheimer's.

11. 'Slime mold' has no brain, so how can it think?

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Slime mold is a yellow gooey substance and one of the most intriguing organisms that remains a mystery to scientists. The slime molds are not actually fungi or molds despite their name, but they have proven that they have the capacity to think despite not having a brain!

12. How long could a human live in the future?

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The longevity of the human life is steadily increasing and has risen a lot in comparison to decades ago due to our way of life and modern technology and medicine. So scientists are left with the question, how long could a human possibly live with the best of technology and medicine in the future?

13. How did the ancient Egyptians create their creations without modern technology?

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The Great Pyramid of Giza remains one of the most debated topics among scientists. There are many different theories, but nothing conclusive. The structures are so huge and so precise that it is not understood how it could have been possible without technology in the future.

14. The power of the 'placebo' effect in the human mind

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The placebo effect is when the mind and body seem to create the same effect as the actual thing that causes a reaction. for example, when studies are separated into a placebo group and a group taking the real medicine, the brain sometimes has the ability to create the same effect...but how? Scientists cannot tell.

15. How trauma can teach people new skills

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You have probably heard of the instances where people wake up from a coma and have the ability to speak a different language. Or, when people suffer a head trauma and wake up with a new skill or the ability to play the piano. How this happens without having learned it is something scientists really cannot figure out.

16. What would a human be capable of if they used 100% of their brain?

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You may have heard that humans only use a small percentage of the brain. And to some extent this is true. But while we use more than a small percentage of our brain, we do not use multiple compartments of the brain at the same time. Scientists wonder what we would be capable of if we could.

17. The Voynich manuscript that nobody can understand

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The Voynich manuscript is a 500-year-old document that to this day remains undeciphered. Scientists and historians have been working on trying to work out the document, however, it has never been managed. It remains a complete mystery still to this day!

18. The theory of (quantum) gravity still has many unanswered questions

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Quantum gravity is a very particular kind of gravitational theory. Quantum gravity still remains a mystery to scientists who have not been able to create a sound theory of relative gravity and quantum mechanics to be able to explain such a phenomenon.

19. Was the 'wow' signal, aliens trying to communicate?

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The 'wow' signal was named as such because it was the longest radio signal ever received from an unknown origin. It was thought to be a signal from extraterrestrials. In 1977 the wow signal was detected from space in the form of a strong, narrowband signal.

20. The motions of fluid are still not understood

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There is something called 'turbulence' which refers (not to mechanics) to the way water moves in inexplicable ways. The motions of air have been figured out, yet the motions of fluids still remain a mystery to scientists who cannot explain why they sometimes act differently in different circumstances.

21. The force attracting planets in space that nobody understands

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Space is so vast that it remains a huge mystery. There is a gravitational anomaly that exists somewhere in space, it pulls galaxies towards it. However, scientists do not understand what it is or the nature of it and how it has a different kind of gravitational pull to other areas of space.

22. The 100 BC Greek 'computer'

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The world's oldest 'computer' that has ever been discovered was one found in Greece, in 100 BC. The computer included knowledge and technology not like today, but still, in a form that was inexplicable for the time. Scientists cannot explain how it existed at such a time.

23. The Taos hum: an unknown low-frequency that came from where?

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There is a phenomenon in Taos, New Mexico that is known as the Taos Hum. It is a low-frequency sound that differs from other frequencies. But scientists cannot explain where this frequency comes from, or why it occurs in this place. There seems to be no explanation!

24. The missing periodic table elements

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The elements beyond atomic number 118 have not yet been synthesized. So, many elements that are in existence have not yet been discovered. While we know a lot about the world, scientists still have a LOT yet to discover about many mysteries that still remain.

25. The origin of the moon

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The origin of the moon has been the subject of scientific debate for many years now. There are a lot of theories on the formation of the moon, the most common is the Giant Impact Hypothesis which refers to an object that collided with the Earth. But nothing is yet certain.

26. What is the subconscious and what do dreams mean?

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Understanding conscious thought is one thing, but the subconscious is an entirely different phenomenon altogether. Scientists cannot fully comprehend how our subconscious can work, and how dreams really function, and what they actually mean in terms of scientific explanation.

27. What causes the mysterious spheres of lighting after thunderstorms?

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The nature of ball lightning is another of Earth's many mysteries. They are luminous spheres of electricity that occasionally appear during thunderstorms, but they may also be seen randomly on occasion too. How they occur and what they are is not yet fully understood!

28. The Theory of Everything...

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The Theory of everything tries to unify a comprehensive theory about general relativity and quantum mechanics however it has not yet been managed. Scientists are still trying to work on the theory of everything but it remains as elusive as ever, despite theories having been made.

29. The pioneer anomaly: strange movements in the spacecraft near the sun

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The pioneer anomaly refers to the strange display of deceleration that was observed during the pioneer spacecraft flight as it moved away from the sun. This voyage raised a lot of questions that remain unanswered. There have been ideas that have been dismissed as the true explanation.

30. The Riemann Hypothesis, an unknown mathematical problem

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Mathematics and science go to such a complex level that it becomes no longer understood or explainable. There is The Riemann Hypothesis which is an unsolved number theory that has a huge impact on science and mathematics, yet it still cannot be figured out!