askscience

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When we observe redshifted light from distant stars, how can we be sure that the red is due to the expansion of space, and not actually just more red than other light?	2086
Do atoms have a solid, well-defined "shell" that they are encased in? Or do they simply only exist as far out as their electrons orbit them?	128
I've often heard Jupiter referred to as a "failed star." Is this a fair representation? How close in terms of mass was it to actually becoming a star?	40
Is there a theoretical/physical limit to how much data we can store in a given volume? For example, what is the maximum number of bits we could store in a cubic centimeter?	10
Hawking Radiation is generated from particles spontaneously appearing near a black hole's event horizon, particles which usually quickly disappear. Does this imply the black hole is emitting "new" matter? How does this not violate the law of conservation of mass?	2
How feasible would it be to build machines to "suck" CO2 and other greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere to curb global warming?	2
From an evolutionary standpoint, why do some plants produce fruit? How does this give them an advantage over other plants?	1
Are there any non water-based liquids that are safe for humans to drink and/or provide nutritional value?	1
Suppose we had the ability to create wormholes. Given what we know about them today, if I wanted to create a wormhole from point A to point B, would it require me to travel to point B first to "connect" the wormhole together? Or could I create one between any two arbitrary points without moving?	1
Is it possible that the Milky Way could be colliding with another galaxy right now, parallel to our galaxy's plane of rotation, but on the other side of the galactic center, and we just can't see it?	1

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