At the start of class each year, I ask the students what are the most important and interesting questions in science, partly to break the ice, and mostly because I want to know about what they wonder about so I can teach it (or find someone who can). This year’s answers:

Most important:
(1) How can we live more sustainably?
(2) How can we change culture so we can live more sustainably?
(3) How will global warming affect our lifestyles?
(4) How can we adapt to global warming?
(5) What to do about global warming?
(6) What is a cheap source of renewable energy?
(7) How to cure cancer? [five groups]
(8) How to cure other debilitating diseases such as ALS?
(9) What are the long term effects of using illicit drugs?

Most interesting:
(10) Can we make an iron man?
(11) Is there life on other planets? [five groups]
(12) What language to animals think in?
(13) How long can we live?
(14) What genes evolve?
(15) How did life begin?
(16) Evolution versus creation
(17) How will technology change our lives?

Compared to past years (2013, 2012, 2011), there was this year perhaps more concern about environmental well being. Curing diseases, especially cancer, still ranks high, as does the question of whether we are alone in the universe.

There are of course easy answers to some of these questions: (6) solar (soon) (9) Not good, (14) all of them, (17) a lot. The others, I will teach.