3115: Unsolved Physics Problems

Unsolved Physics Problems

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Title text: 'Tin pest' makes more sense to me. Tin just doesn't want to be locked down in a shape like that. I get it. But why would any metal want to grow hair??

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Explanation

This is one of 47 incomplete explanations: This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

This comic is a sequel to comic 2529: Unsolved Math Problems, which follows the same format.

Quantum Gravity is the problem of determining how exactly gravity interacts with quantum physics. Gravity operates at large scales and is well described by relativity theory, while quantum physics is easiest to observe at very small scales. This makes it hard to conduct an experiment that includes both phenomenon, and has led to a wide range of theories which are difficult to experimentally confirm or refute.

The second phenomenon, the Gallium Anomaly, is an example of a precise experiment to understand a specific phenomenon. The difference between the expectation and reality is small but significant and indicates our models of physics are inaccurate.

The third question concerns zinc whiskers, a phenomenon that sounds extremely strange at first sight: hair is usually thought of as an organic property, and spontaneous change in a block of metal would not be a typical problem one would expect. Thus Randall considers this phenomenon.

The title text mentions tin pest a transformation which causes deterioration of white tin.

All of these are real phenomena.

Transcript

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The Three Types of Unsolved Physics Problem

Vague

[A Feynman diagram of two particles interacting via the electromagnetic force is to the right of Cueball. The diagram is drawn on a curved surface]

Cueball: What is the nature of time in quantum gravity? Is it a background parameter, a dynamic aspect of spacetime, or an emergent phenomenon?

Precise

[A scientific instrument and a nuclear reaction equation of gallium-71 becoming germanium-71 are to Megan's left]

Megan: Why does the S.A.G.E. Gallium Neutrino Capture Experiment produce only 75% as much germanium as predicted?

Cursed

[A rectangular block of zinc, with whiskers growing out of it, is visible to the right of White Hat]

White Hat: Why does some metal randomly grow hairs?

White Hat: It keeps causing short circuits and we have no idea what's going on.

Voice from off-panel: Is this a joke?

White Hat: No! Please help!

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Discussion

I didn't notice that the linked paper on zink whiskers was from NASA at first, but it was immediately apparent that an American wrote it... The style is super American. "Oh, no! People who chose to read this paper won't get it unless I write really big and EMPHASISE words." It's a very "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" style of naming margarine, so to say. Kapten-N (talk) 07:23, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

The linked pdf is not a scientific paper, but a slide presentation. I think especially for safety-related presentations it is not uncommon to go a bit over the top with "be aware that this seemingly harmless effect can have serious consequences" -- especially if the risk is seemingly low, but the possible damage is really high. --134.102.219.31 08:25, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

@Kapten-N, your Ameriphobia is duly noted. 76.216.164.118 14:20, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

It seems that there is a typo on the second panel about the Gallium anomaly. According to Wikipedia "The resulting production of 71Ge was calculated in 2005 to be 79% of expected", not 75%. Should this be mentioned? Rps (talk) 12:12, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

Unremoved background on the middle title: The middle title has unerased lettering with a slightly different style. 92.40.191.220 (talk) 08:41, 15 July 2025 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

You know, Hair Metal is a thing. Just sayin'. 92.184.140.165 12:39, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

If metal inexorably produces hair and unwanted behaviour, which I believe it does, could you explain to me why rock doesn't? 2001:1C00:31C:0:90DD:6826:AA7C:C80F 19:57, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

Because it absolutely refuses to be in any way vulnerable to scissors! 92.23.2.228 22:55, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

If we can't explain why metal grows hair, why would you think we could explain why rocks don't? DL Draco Rex (talk) 19:23, 16 July 2025 (UTC)

An (overly) simplified explanation: Rocks frequently are made out of multiple different chemicals which are less likely to all behave the same way when mixed together than in a pure sample of an element like Zinc or Tin. In the explanation it notes that mixing different chemicals into Zinc or Tin (an alloy, but I'm simplifying) can change the behavior and prevent the "hair" from growing. Tomb (talk)

If you look closely where it says ‘precise’, it looks like Randall traced it! Broseph (talk) 12:44, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

The zinc whiskers are similar to joke in 3112: Geology Murder where the

dagger-shaped object precipitated within the wound

KingPenguin (talk) 02:19, 16 July 2025 (UTC)

A rare case where gallium is the somewhat normal behaving metal. RegularSizedGuy (talk) 13:00, 16 July 2025 (UTC)

First-year chem lab on purification by recrystallization. We started with human gallstones — I don't recall if we had the actual "stones" and crushed them or even just dissolved them whole, or started with the powdered material. This material was dissolved in the smallest amount of boiling solvent that would do the job, giving a dark brown solution. The solution was cooled in an ice bath, and the cholesterol precipitated out (leaving some still in solution, which reduced the yield). The crystals were filtered out, very pale beige. The procedure was repeated, and the resulting crystals were white/colourless. One interesting observation was that the crystals that came out of the first stage were wide flat thin plates, but the second stage gave long needle-like crystals. Same materials, same solvent, same temperatures, same procedures and handling... but the concentrations of the impurities in solution completely changed how the crystals grew. BunsenH (talk) 17:13, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

I would add that some fields like avionic and medicine are still allowed to use lead in solder because while lead is toxic, NOT using it could easily cost more lives in such cases. -- Hkmaly (talk) 23:07, 22 July 2025 (UTC)
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