The Last Unknowns

Every scientist has his or her "ultimate question," the unknown quantity that, if answered, would break open their field. In the spirit of this, Edge.org publisher John Brockman asks 284 of the world's leading scientists, academics, artists, and intellectuals: "What is the last question?" Contributors include: Jared Diamond: "Why is there such widespread public opposition to science and scientific reasoning in the United States, the world leader in every major branch of science?"Steven Pinker: "How can we empower the better angels of our nature?"Carlo Rovelli: "Is there an ultimate reality?"Nina Jablonski: "When will race disappear?"Kevin Kelly: "How can the process of science be improved?"Andrei Linde: "Where were the laws of physics written before the universe was born?"Mario Livio: "Will it ever be possible to download the information stored in the human brain?"Ian McEwan: "If the sum of all significant knowledge is finite, what proportion of it can humans, aided by intelligent machines, eventually attain?"George Dyson: "Why are there no trees in the ocean?"Dylan Evans: "Will civilization collapse before I die?"And many, many others