Science has come so far in understanding the unknown around us. From great mysteries to simple things in our everyday lives. But for a few simple things, science has absolutely no answer. Will they ever figure it out?
1. Why We Yawn
Yawning is something that everyone does daily, and it can be pretty contagious; you might even start by just reading this, but scientists still don’t have a definitive answer as to why it happens. Some believe yawning is the body’s way of increasing oxygen levels or cooling the brain; others think it could be linked to communication or empathy. There has even been some speculation that yawning is your body’s way of keeping you awake and alert, but the fact is that the actual cause of yawning is still a mystery.
2. The Bermuda Triangle
Most people know about the mysterious place in the Atlantic Ocean between Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, where ships and aircraft seem to disappear. There have been many theories, like magnetic anomalies that disrupt navigation, underwater methane gas eruptions, and even severe storms, but nothing could ever be proven. You might not want to book that flight or cruise if it detours through this love triangle.
3. Ball Lightning
Have you ever been lucky enough to experience the phenomenon of ball lightning? It has been described as glowing, spherical balls of light that appear during thunderstorms. Ball lightning has been reported to float, move erratically, and sometimes even explode. Although many people have witnessed this, scientists have yet to find out exactly what it is due to how rare and unpredictable it is.
4. Deja Vu
This is the strange sensation of having already experienced a moment or a place when you know this has never happened before. Some theories suggest that déjà vu results from a glitch in the brain’s memory system, where new experiences are mistakenly recognized as familiar. Others propose that it might be linked to a brief delay in processing sensory information, causing the brain to perceive a moment as both new and familiar at the same time. There are so many theories that it’s hard to determine precisely what causes this eerie feeling.
5. The “Mysterious” Hum
This is an unsettling low-frequency sound that has been reported in various locations worldwide, but no one knows where it’s coming from. This hum has often been described as a constant buzzing or droning noise that can be heard best when you’re indoors or even at night when it’s quiet. What’s particularly strange is that only specific individuals or communities report hearing it, leaving researchers to wonder whether the hum is a physical or psychological phenomenon.
6. Why We Have Fingerprints
Every part of your body has a certain function or purpose, and while some parts may have grown pointless as we evolved, they still had a function at some point. Although scientists know that fingerprints help improve touch and grip, why are fingerprints unique to each person? Was it mainly to be able to identify each person as their own, or is there a reason that we haven’t discovered yet? We can only wonder.
7. The “Wow” Signal
In 1977, astronomer Jerry Ehman detected a strong, narrowband radio signal while working on a SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project at Ohio’s Big Ear radio telescope. This strange signal lasted only 72 seconds but was so out of place that Ehman wrote “wow” in his notes. Despite numerous attempts to find a similar signal, no one has been able to explain its origin. Naturally, there are many theories surrounding where this signal came from or exactly what it was, but to this day, scientists are baffled.
8. Why We Dream
Dreaming is an everyday occurrence in everyone, but science has never indeed explained why this happens. It helps us process emotions and memories to the suggestion that they serve as a form of cognitive rehearsal or problem-solving. Some researchers believe dreams are a byproduct of the brain’s activity during sleep. In contrast, others argue that they might play a role in consolidating information or helping with emotional regulation. Despite what they might think, science has yet to establish the exact reason behind dreaming.
9. Magnetoreception in Animals
Animals can never cease to amaze us, and this remarkable ability is another way to do that. Many animals can detect magnetic fields and use them to navigate long distances accurately. Researchers have tried to understand the biological mechanisms behind magnetoreception, but there is still a lot that they aren’t sure of. How animals process and interpret magnetic information and combine it with other environmental cues for navigation is still unclear.
References:
Why Do We Yawn?
Ordinary Things Scientists Don’t Understand
Magnetoreception in animals
