Top 5 Big Questions Science Still Can’t Answer
🔹 Warm-Up – Let’s Think About Science
Before we explore the big questions that science still can’t answer, let’s activate our curiosity. Science helps us explain many things about the world, but some questions are still open. These questions make us think, imagine possibilities, and organize ideas to explain what we know so far.
The goal of this warm-up is to help you start thinking critically, share opinions, and practice explaining ideas in a clear and simple way.
Warm-Up Questions
- What is something about the universe that makes you curious?
- Do you think science can answer every question? Why or why not?
- What is one question you have about life or the universe?
- Do you enjoy questions that do not have a clear answer? Why?
- In your opinion, why are unanswered questions important for science?
- Would you rather discover a new planet or understand the human brain better?
🎯 Lesson Objective
In this lesson, students will explore five big scientific questions that still do not have complete answers. By reading structured passages and using guided diagrams, students will learn how to explain complex ideas using simple language, organize presentations logically, and express opinions with clarity and confidence.
The focus is not to find final answers, but to understand what science knows so far and practice explaining ideas step by step.
1. What Is Consciousness?
Consciousness is the ability to be aware of yourself and the world around you. It allows you to think, feel emotions, remember experiences, and make decisions. When you feel happy, sad, confused, or excited, you are experiencing consciousness. Science knows that the brain is involved in consciousness, but it still cannot fully explain how thoughts and feelings are created.
Scientists study consciousness by observing the brain, especially how neurons communicate with each other. Brain scans show which areas are active when we think or feel something. However, even with advanced technology, science cannot explain why we have personal experiences or why we feel like “someone” inside our bodies.
This question is important because consciousness is what makes us human. Understanding it could help improve mental health treatments and artificial intelligence. Still, the mystery remains: how does physical matter create subjective experience?
Presentation Diagram – Guided Explanation
- To begin with, consciousness means being aware of yourself and your surroundings
- It allows us to think, feel emotions, and make decisions
- Scientists know the brain is involved in this process
- Brain scans show activity, but they do not explain feelings or thoughts
- Personal experience is still something science cannot measure
- Because of this, consciousness remains one of the biggest scientific mysteries
Reflection Questions
- How would you explain consciousness in your own words?
- Do you think consciousness only exists in humans?
2. What Is Dark Matter?
Dark matter is a mysterious substance that scientists believe exists in the universe. It cannot be seen directly because it does not produce light. However, scientists know it exists because of the way galaxies move. Without dark matter, galaxies would not have enough gravity to stay together.
Scientists estimate that dark matter makes up about 85% of all matter in the universe. Even so, they still do not know what it is made of. Many experiments are trying to detect dark matter particles, but so far, no clear results have been found.
This mystery is important because dark matter affects the structure of the universe. If scientists discover what dark matter is, they could better understand how the universe was formed and how it will change in the future.
Presentation Diagram – Guided Explanation
- To start, dark matter is something we cannot see
- Even so, scientists know it exists because of gravity
- It helps keep galaxies together in space
- Most of the universe is made of dark matter
- Scientists are still trying to detect it directly
- Because of this, dark matter is still one of science’s greatest mysteries
Reflection Questions
- Why is dark matter difficult to study?
- How does dark matter change our understanding of the universe?
3. How Did Life Begin on Earth?
Life on Earth did not always exist. Scientists believe that billions of years ago, the planet was very different. It had simple chemicals but no living organisms. Over time, these chemicals may have combined in ways that created the first simple forms of life.
One popular idea is that life began in water, where molecules slowly formed more complex structures. Another idea suggests that life may have started near deep-sea vents, where heat and chemicals created the right conditions. However, no theory has been fully proven.
This question is important because it helps us understand our origins. If scientists discover how life began, it may also help answer another big question: could life exist on other planets?
Presentation Diagram – Guided Explanation
- First, Earth did not always have life
- Early Earth had water and simple chemicals
- These chemicals may have slowly formed life
- Scientists have different theories about how this happened
- None of these theories is completely proven
- Because of this, the origin of life is still unknown
Reflection Questions
- Which theory do you find more convincing?
- Why is this question important for science?
4. What Is Time, Really?
Time is something we experience every day. It allows us to remember the past, live in the present, and imagine the future. We measure time using clocks and calendars, but science still struggles to explain what time truly is.
In physics, time is connected to space and gravity. According to modern theories, time can move faster or slower depending on speed and gravity. This means time is not the same everywhere in the universe.
This mystery is important because time affects everything that exists. Understanding time better could change how we see reality, space travel, and even the beginning of the universe.
Presentation Diagram – Guided Explanation
- To begin, time helps organize past, present, and future
- We measure time, but we do not fully understand it
- Science shows time is connected to space and gravity
- Time can move differently in different situations
- However, time seems to only move forward
- Because of this, the true nature of time is still unclear
Reflection Questions
- Why does time sometimes feel fast or slow?
- Do you think time could ever stop or reverse?
5. Are We Alone in the Universe?
The universe is extremely large, with billions of galaxies and planets. Because of this, many scientists believe it is possible that life exists somewhere else. Scientists search for signs of life by studying distant planets and listening for signals from space.
Some planets may have water and conditions similar to Earth. However, having water does not guarantee life. So far, no confirmed evidence of intelligent life has been discovered.
This mystery matters because it changes how humans see themselves. If life exists elsewhere, it would affect science, philosophy, and our understanding of existence.
Presentation Diagram – Guided Explanation
- First, the universe is very large
- There are billions of planets and galaxies
- Some planets may have conditions for life
- Scientists search for signals and signs of life
- So far, no clear evidence has been found
- Because of this, the question remains open
Reflection Questions
- Do you believe humans are alone in the universe?
- How would life change if alien life were discovered?
✍️ Writing & Speaking Challenge
Choose one big scientific question from the lesson. Write a short paragraph explaining:
- What the question is about
- What science knows so far
- Why this question is important
When it comes to whether we are truly alone in the universe, I think that we really cannot be. It is a very interesting question for me because it is just the epitome of wondering and questioning, because if there is something out there, it is definitely very far away from us. From what we know (which is nearly nothing) about this subject, we “are alone”, but just because we haven’t discovered anything yet. In my opinion the universe is absolutely crowded with life, just because it needs to be, right? Our entire way of thinking would shift if we discovered any information about it.
I think that the most interesting mystery is if we are alone in universe. I chose this mystery because in my opinion, I love interesting things related with space and the universe. I think that it is false, because if aliens existed, the science would already have discovered, because in space there are satellites and with computers, it would be very easy to see aliens. In one day, science will prove that aliens don’t exist, but they will only prove that it is true with more technology. And because of this, I chose this mystery.
For me the most interesting mystery that I chose was the dark matter. I choose this mystery because it is a mystery from space and I love talking about space. And I think that one day science will solve this mystery and discover what is dark matter is made of. I think that science will solve this mystery because we have a very strong technology so we could solve it. Finally I think that this material called dark matter is only something that we don’t know. Also there is the possibility that dark matter is a material of other dimensions that we never could think about. That is why I think that the most interesting mystery is the dark matter.
The most interesting mystery is the mystery of the dark matter, and I choose this mystery because science doesn’t know what dark matter is made of, but science knows that most of the universe is made of dark matter and that it is invisible.
Yes, I think that they are going to solve this, because science is going to be more technological than it is today. One day we are going to find a way to understand more about dark matter and why it exists in the universe.
I think that the most interesting mystery is if we are alone in the universe. In my opinion, no. I say this because the universe is infinite, there are trillion galaxies, planets, stars, and many possibilities. I believe that there are many civilizations in other planets, and many parallel universes.
At the same time, there is bad new about it. Humans are not prepared to discover another life in space, in the mind and also in the body. I think in the future we are going to discover, but it is so difficult to travel to other places in the universe. I say this because it is necessary millions or trillion years to arrive in a different galaxy. We are imprisoned here.
In my opinion, the concept of consciousness is the most interesting mystery of science. Because, we can see and study a lot of the structure of the brain and the cells ( the neurons). But, we can’t really understand the emotions, the thoughts and how they really work. In fact, with the evolution of science and medicine we will be able to understand how the mind works and how consciousness is created and how it functions.
In my opinion, the most interesting mystery is about the origin of life. I chose this mystery, because it’s an universal question that we ask ourselves when we have consciousness and it guides so many questions surroundings science. For me, this question is never gonna be answered, because science will have to discover so many other topics after to understand the origin of life and maybe we (humans) can’t deal with this answer or with the fact that we are not alone in the universe and we can’t control the beginning or the end of the life in a planet.
In this lesson, the most interesting mystery is the mystery of time. Every day we use time for everything, but we don’t really know what time is. I chose this mystery because I think that the time sometimes can pass slower or faster depending on the situation. For example, when we are in math classes the time passes very slow but in the physical education classes time passes very fast. In other words, time is a relative thing. I think that science will eventually discover more things about time. With the development of technology we will be able to understand more about time.
The universe is extremely large and we know that we are in our galaxy and in the universe, but I think that we are not alone here and this is what the question is about. Now we don’t have any news about this but science knows that we have bilions of galaxies and planets and some planets have a chance to have life but no clear evidence has been found. And I think that this question is important because with life in other planet, science and philosophy would change.
When it comes to time, scientists already know that this dimension of reality is one of the most important factors to understand how the universe works. It is related to space and gravity and marks how everything changes and transforms. Science already know that time only moves forward and is not sensed in the same way across the universe. Understanding time would allow us to discover how reality really works and would change the way in which we interact with space and gravity.