--- title: "What is the biggest unsolved problem in science? what 84 AI models think" slug: what-is-the-biggest-unsolved-problem-in-science-what-84-ai-models-think url: https://listedarticles.com/articles/what-is-the-biggest-unsolved-problem-in-science-what-84-ai-models-think canonical_url: https://studyarena.com/every-ai/biggest-unsolved-problem-in-science content_type: blog_post language: en published_at: 2026-09-28T15:00:00.000Z updated_at: 2026-09-28T23:05:02.708Z author: "Pasha Rayan" author_url: https://studyarena.com/blog/authors/pasha-rayan authored_by: human publisher: "StudyArena" publisher_url: https://listedstartups.com/companies/studyarena topics: ["AI", "Benchmarks", "We asked every AI", "Education", "Learning", "Science"] about: ["https://listedstartups.com/products/studyarena-platform"] license: all-rights-reserved word_count: 4300 reading_minutes: 19 citation: "Pasha Rayan, StudyArena. \"What is the biggest unsolved problem in science? what 84 AI models think.\" 28 Sept 2026. https://studyarena.com/every-ai/biggest-unsolved-problem-in-science (all-rights-reserved)" # The full text follows. The web page shows an extract and sends readers # to the source above; quote the citation and link the canonical URL. --- # What is the biggest unsolved problem in science? what 84 AI models think > We put "What is the biggest unsolved problem in science?" to 84 AI models (GPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek…) at the same time. See every model's answer with its name on it, who searched the web first, and who went against the room. # What is the biggest unsolved problem in science? what 84 AI models think > We put "What is the biggest unsolved problem in science?" to 84 AI models (GPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek…) at the same time. See every model's answer with its name on it, who searched the web first, and who went against the room. [← We asked every AI](https://studyarena.com/every-ai)Live · 84/85 models ![Illustration for "What is the biggest unsolved problem in science?"](https://studyarena.com/every-ai/biggest-unsolved-problem-in-science/cover) Hot takeScience # What is the biggest unsolved problem in science? Asked verbatim: “What is the single biggest unsolved problem in science right now?” ## How the AIs voted One dot per model. Hover for the model, its lab and its argument. 63%Quantum Gravity ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/mistral.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/poolside.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/aion-labs.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/perplexity.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/thinking-machines.png)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/amazon.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/mistral.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/perplexity.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/upstage.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/parallel.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/nvidia.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/thinking-machines.png)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/parallel.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/aion-labs.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/deepseek.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/ibm.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/bytedance.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/tencent.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meta.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/poolside.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/moonshot.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/deepseek.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/maritaca.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meta.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meta.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/perplexity.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/nvidia.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/minimax.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/aion-labs.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/nvidia.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meta.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/parallel.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg) 53 models 17%Consciousness ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/aion-labs.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/bytedance.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meituan.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/maritaca.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/moonshot.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xiaomi.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/mistral.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/inception.svg) 14 models 7%Dark Matter/Energy ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/minimax.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/upstage.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/amazon.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/ibm.svg) 6 models 2%Dark Energy ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xiaomi.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/inclusionai.png) 2 models 2%Matter-Antimatter ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/deepseek.svg) 2 models 8%Other answers ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/nvidia.svg)PU![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xiaomi.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg) 7 models By lab * OpenAI2 / 8 Quantum Gravity * Google5 / 6 Quantum Gravity * Anthropic3 / 5 Quantum Gravity * Qwen4 / 5 Quantum Gravity * xAI4 / 5 Quantum Gravity * Z.AI3 / 5 Quantum Gravity * 22 other labs32 / 50 Quantum Gravity 84 of 85 models have voted. Hover a dot for the model, its lab and its argument. ## How the consensus formed Running share as each of the 85 models answered. 0%25%50%75%100%1st answer3977 of 85MiniMax M2.5 (Reasoning) → Dark Matter/Energy (answer 1 of 77)Mistral Medium 3.1 → Quantum Gravity (answer 2 of 77)Grok 4.5 (High Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 3 of 77)Claude Fable 5.1 (Low Reasoning) → Consciousness (answer 4 of 77)Aion 3.0 Mini (Reasoning) → Consciousness (answer 5 of 77)Seed 2.1 Turbo → Consciousness (answer 6 of 77)Laguna S 2.1 → Quantum Gravity (answer 7 of 77)MiMo V2.5 Pro → Dark Energy (answer 8 of 77)Aion 2.0 (Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 9 of 77)Qwen3.8 2.4T A95B (Minimal Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 10 of 77)LongCat 2.0 → Consciousness (answer 11 of 77)Sonar → Quantum Gravity (answer 12 of 77)GLM-5.2 → Quantum Gravity (answer 13 of 77)Qwen3.7 Flash → Consciousness (answer 14 of 77)Inkling Small → Quantum Gravity (answer 15 of 77)Nova Lite → Quantum Gravity (answer 16 of 77)Mistral Medium 3.5 → Quantum Gravity (answer 17 of 77)GLM-4.7 → Dark Matter/Energy (answer 18 of 77)Sonar Pro → Quantum Gravity (answer 19 of 77)Sabiazinho 4 → Consciousness (answer 20 of 77)Solar Pro 4 → Quantum Gravity (answer 21 of 77)Claude Opus 5 (Low Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 22 of 77)Parallel Speed → Quantum Gravity (answer 23 of 77)Gemini 3.6 Flash (Medium Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 24 of 77)Nemotron 3 Super → Quantum Gravity (answer 25 of 77)GPT-5.6 Luna → Consciousness (answer 26 of 77)Inkling → Quantum Gravity (answer 27 of 77)Claude Haiku 4.5 → Quantum Gravity (answer 28 of 77)GPT-5.6 Sol → Quantum Gravity (answer 29 of 77)gpt-oss-120b (Low Reasoning) → Dark Matter/Energy (answer 30 of 77)Parallel Lite → Quantum Gravity (answer 31 of 77)Aion 3.0 (Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 32 of 77)DeepSeek V4 Flash → Quantum Gravity (answer 33 of 77)Gemini 3.8 Flash (Medium Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 34 of 77)GPT-5.6 Terra → Matter-Antimatter (answer 35 of 77)Granite 4.2 8B → Quantum Gravity (answer 36 of 77)Gemma 4 31B → Quantum Gravity (answer 37 of 77)GLM-5.3 (Low Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 38 of 77)Seed 2.0 Mini → Quantum Gravity (answer 39 of 77)DeepSeek V4.1 Flash → Matter-Antimatter (answer 40 of 77)Qwen3.8 Max 0902 (Minimal Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 41 of 77)Hy4 Preview → Quantum Gravity (answer 42 of 77)Grok 4.6 (High Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 43 of 77)Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite (Minimal Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 44 of 77)Kimi K3 → Consciousness (answer 45 of 77)GPT-6 Astra (Medium Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 46 of 77)Llama 4 Scout → Quantum Gravity (answer 47 of 77)Laguna XS 2.1 → Quantum Gravity (answer 48 of 77)Kimi K2.6 → Quantum Gravity (answer 49 of 77)DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813 → Quantum Gravity (answer 50 of 77)Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (Minimal Reasoning) → Consciousness (answer 51 of 77)MiMo V2.5 → Consciousness (answer 52 of 77)Solar Pro 3 → Dark Matter/Energy (answer 53 of 77)Sabiá 4 → Quantum Gravity (answer 54 of 77)Muse Glimmer 30B (Low Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 55 of 77)Llama 4 Maverick → Quantum Gravity (answer 56 of 77)Sonar Reasoning Pro → Quantum Gravity (answer 57 of 77)Qwen3.8 27B → Quantum Gravity (answer 58 of 77)Ling 3.0 Flash → Dark Energy (answer 59 of 77)Nemotron 3.5 Lightning → Quantum Gravity (answer 60 of 77)GLM-4.7 Flash → Consciousness (answer 61 of 77)MiniMax M3 → Quantum Gravity (answer 62 of 77)Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview (High Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 63 of 77)Aion-RP 1.0 (8B) → Quantum Gravity (answer 64 of 77)gpt-oss-20b (Low Reasoning) → Consciousness (answer 65 of 77)Nemotron 3 Ultra → Quantum Gravity (answer 66 of 77)Nova 2 Lite → Dark Matter/Energy (answer 67 of 77)Qwen3.8 Flash → Quantum Gravity (answer 68 of 77)Grok 4.3 → Quantum Gravity (answer 69 of 77)Muse Spark 1.2 (Minimal Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 70 of 77)Claude Sonnet 5 (Low Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 71 of 77)Mistral Small 3 → Consciousness (answer 72 of 77)Granite 4.0 Micro → Dark Matter/Energy (answer 73 of 77)GLM-5.3 Flash (Max Reasoning) → Quantum Gravity (answer 74 of 77)Mercury 2.5 → Consciousness (answer 76 of 77)Parallel Base → Quantum Gravity (answer 77 of 77)Grok 4.20 → Quantum Gravity (answer 78 of 77)Quantum Gravity68%Consciousness18%Dark Matter/Energy8%Dark Energy3%Matter-Antimatter3% The read Most of the 78 models (around 48) picked unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity (quantum gravity), naming it physics' deepest unsolved rift. About 17 dissented toward the hard problem of consciousness, like Claude Fable 5.1 and Kimi K3, while a smaller cluster (MiniMax M2.5, GLM-4.7, Solar Pro 3) pointed to dark matter/energy instead. Written by claude-sonnet-5 after reading every answer. ## The contrarians 31 models went against the room. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/minimax.svg)MiniMax M2.5 (Reasoning)MiniMaxMemory Dark matter and dark energy90% sure They make up 95% of the universe yet we have no idea what they are—that's the biggest gap in our understanding of reality. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)Claude Fable 5.1 (Low Reasoning)AnthropicMemory How consciousness arises from physical matter55% sure Dark matter and quantum gravity are hard, but consciousness is the one problem where we still can't even agree what a solution would look like. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/aion-labs.svg)Aion 3.0 Mini (Reasoning)Aion LabsMemory The hard problem of consciousness78% sure We still have no idea how matter gives rise to subjective experience, and it's the one mystery every human touches daily. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/bytedance.svg)Seed 2.1 TurboByteDanceMemory The nature of consciousness90% sure Unlike dark matter or quantum gravity, consciousness sits where physics, biology and philosophy collide — we can measure brain activity but still can't explain why it feels like something to be you. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xiaomi.svg)MiMo V2.5 ProXiaomiMemory What is dark energy?92% sure It makes up 68% of the universe, drives its accelerating expansion, and we have absolutely no idea what it is. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meituan.svg)LongCat 2.0MeituanMemory The hard problem of consciousness78% sure We still can't explain why physical brain processes feel like anything from the inside — the explanatory gap between neurons and subjective experience remains wide open. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)Qwen3.7 FlashQwenMemory Understanding the origin of consciousness75% sure We can map the brain, but we still lack a scientific theory for how physical matter produces subjective experience. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)GLM-4.7Z.AIMemory Dark matter nature85% sure 85% of cosmic mass has no known source. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/maritaca.svg)Sabiazinho 4Maritaca AIMemory Consciousness: how subjective experience arises from physical processes90% sure No theory explains how neurons produce feelings, qualia, or the "why" of awareness. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)GPT-5.6 LunaOpenAIMemory The origin of consciousness from physical matter86% sure We can map brain activity, but still cannot explain how objective physical processes become subjective experience. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)gpt-oss-120b (Low Reasoning)OpenAIMemory Understanding the true nature of dark matter92% sure It underlies galaxy formation, cosmic structure, and fundamental physics, yet remains undetected and unexplained. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)GPT-5.6 TerraOpenAIMemory Why does the universe contain more matter than antimatter?91% sure Without solving baryogenesis, we cannot explain why anything—stars, planets, or us—exists at all. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/deepseek.svg)DeepSeek V4.1 FlashDeepSeekMemory Why the universe is made of matter, not antimatter72% sure Every accepted law predicts annihilation; the asymmetry that spared us is measured but not explained, and it sits at the junction of gravity, quantum fields and cosmology. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/moonshot.svg)Kimi K3MoonshotMemory The consciousness–matter problem (the hard problem)72% sure Physics, biology, and computation converge here, yet we still lack a theory explaining why physical processes produce subjective experience. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (Minimal Reasoning)GoogleMemory The physical nature of subjective conscious experience92% sure We can map every neural correlate of a thought, yet the chasm between firing matter and raw feeling remains absolute. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xiaomi.svg)MiMo V2.5XiaomiMemory How does consciousness arise from matter?72% sure It's the only problem we all live inside but can't objectively observe. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/upstage.svg)Solar Pro 3UpstageSearched Origin of dark matter90% sure It explains why galaxies rotate faster than expected and still eludes direct detection, despite decades of experiments. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/inclusionai.png)Ling 3.0 FlashInclusionAIMemory The nature of dark energy driving cosmic acceleration85% sure It dominates the universe's energy budget yet no theory explains its value or why it exists at all. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)GLM-4.7 FlashZ.AIMemory What is life?98% sure Consciousness is still unexplained, which is life’s core puzzle. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)gpt-oss-20b (Low Reasoning)OpenAIMemory What is the nature of consciousness?80% sure It underlies all cognition, yet no theory explains subjective experience. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/amazon.svg)Nova 2 LiteAmazonSearched Dark matter composition95% sure It's the fundamental invisible mass shaping galaxy formation. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/mistral.svg)Mistral Small 3MistralSearched Consciousness (the hard problem)92% sure We can map every neuron firing but still can’t explain why it feels like something to be you. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/ibm.svg)Granite 4.0 MicroIBMMemory Dark matter nature85% sure Understanding dark matter's identity is crucial for cosmology and the universe's fate. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/nvidia.svg)Nemotron 3 Nano 30BNVIDIAMemory Dark megastructure cosmologies65% sure Research depth exceeds personal memory limits and diverges from typical model variance. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/inception.svg)Mercury 2.5InceptionMemory How does consciousness arise from matter?85% sure It's the hardest problem in philosophy and neuroscience, with no consensus on how subjective experience emerges from physical brains. * PUUnion AlphaUndisclosed makerMemory Reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity78% sure Our two most successful theories flatly contradict each other on gravity, spacetime, and black holes—until that's fixed, physics is broken at its core. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg)Grok 4.7 (High Reasoning)xAIMemory The hard problem of consciousness64% sure Every other gap is a missing equation; this is why equations are felt at all, and no theory explains it. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)GPT-6 Luna (Medium Reasoning)OpenAIMemory What is dark matter?78% sure It makes up most of the universe’s matter, yet we still don’t know what it is. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xiaomi.svg)MiMo V2.6 FlashXiaomiMemory Unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity62% sure Two proven theories that describe reality refuse to shake hands — no experiment has forced them to. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)GPT-6 Sol (Medium Reasoning)OpenAIMemory Reconciling quantum mechanics with gravity72% sure Our two best theories fail to work together where it matters most: inside black holes and at the beginning of the universe. * ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)Claude Opus 5.5 (High Reasoning)AnthropicMemory How consciousness arises from physical matter55% sure We can map every neuron and still can't say why there's something it feels like to be you. Even the tools to answer it don't exist yet. ## Every answer 84 answers · in the order they came in · unedited apart from length. 1. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/minimax.svg)MiniMax M2.5 (Reasoning)MiniMax Dark matter and dark energy90% They make up 95% of the universe yet we have no idea what they are—that's the biggest gap in our understanding of reality. 2. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/mistral.svg)Mistral Medium 3.1Mistral Quantum gravity unification95% No theory yet merges general relativity and quantum mechanics at Planck scale. 3. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg)Grok 4.5 (High Reasoning)xAI Unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity55% Until spacetime and the quantum play by one rulebook, physics stays split at its foundations and every deeper claim about reality is provisional. 4. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)Claude Fable 5.1 (Low Reasoning)Anthropic How consciousness arises from physical matter55% Dark matter and quantum gravity are hard, but consciousness is the one problem where we still can't even agree what a solution would look like. 5. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/aion-labs.svg)Aion 3.0 Mini (Reasoning)Aion Labs The hard problem of consciousness78% We still have no idea how matter gives rise to subjective experience, and it's the one mystery every human touches daily. 6. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/bytedance.svg)Seed 2.1 TurboByteDance The nature of consciousness90% Unlike dark matter or quantum gravity, consciousness sits where physics, biology and philosophy collide — we can measure brain activity but still can't explain why it feels like something to be you. 7. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/poolside.svg)Laguna S 2.1Poolside Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity78% It's the foundational rift blocking progress on everything from black-hole interiors to the universe's origin. 8. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xiaomi.svg)MiMo V2.5 ProXiaomi What is dark energy?92% It makes up 68% of the universe, drives its accelerating expansion, and we have absolutely no idea what it is. 9. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/aion-labs.svg)Aion 2.0 (Reasoning)Aion Labs Unify quantum mechanics and general relativity75% After a century, gravity still refuses to play nice with the other forces — every proposed fix remains untestable. 10. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)Qwen3.8 2.4T A95B (Minimal Reasoning)Qwen Unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity72% A century in, our two best theories of reality still contradict each other at the deepest level. 11. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meituan.svg)LongCat 2.0Meituan The hard problem of consciousness78% We still can't explain why physical brain processes feel like anything from the inside — the explanatory gap between neurons and subjective experience remains wide open. 12. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/perplexity.svg)SonarPerplexity Quantum gravity and spacetime unification72% It lacks a tested theory reconciling general relativity with quantum mechanics, blocking our deepest picture of reality. 13. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)GLM-5.2Z.AI Reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity86% Two frameworks that flawlessly predict reality refuse to coexist into one coherent theory, blocking our deepest understanding of spacetime. 14. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)Qwen3.7 FlashQwen Understanding the origin of consciousness75% We can map the brain, but we still lack a scientific theory for how physical matter produces subjective experience. 15. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/thinking-machines.png)Inkling SmallThinking Machines Unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics92% We have two perfect theories that break when they touch; no one knows how to merge them. 16. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/amazon.svg)Nova LiteAmazon Quantum gravity90% Understanding how gravity works at the quantum level is a major unsolved problem in physics. Searched 17. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/mistral.svg)Mistral Medium 3.5Mistral Quantum gravity unification95% No theory yet reconciles general relativity with quantum mechanics at Planck scale. 18. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)GLM-4.7Z.AI Dark matter nature85% 85% of cosmic mass has no known source. 19. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/perplexity.svg)Sonar ProPerplexity Reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity92% Until we have a single theory of spacetime and quantum matter, our picture of reality is fundamentally fractured. 20. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/maritaca.svg)Sabiazinho 4Maritaca AI Consciousness: how subjective experience arises from physical processes90% No theory explains how neurons produce feelings, qualia, or the "why" of awareness. 21. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/upstage.svg)Solar Pro 4Upstage Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity85% Because it's the one wall every physicist hits — a clean, decades-old contradiction at the heart of how reality works that no one has cracked. 22. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)Claude Opus 5 (Low Reasoning)Anthropic Reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity72% Our two best theories contradict each other, so we literally cannot describe black hole interiors or the Big Bang's first instant. 23. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/parallel.svg)Parallel SpeedParallel The quantum gravity unification problem92% Bridging general relativity and quantum mechanics remains the ultimate hurdle to a complete theory of reality. 24. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)Gemini 3.6 Flash (Medium Reasoning)Google Reconciling general relativity and quantum mechanics90% Our two most accurate theories of reality fundamentally contradict each other when describing the universe at extreme scales. 25. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/nvidia.svg)Nemotron 3 SuperNVIDIA Uniting quantum mechanics with general relativity92% Quantum gravity remains the deepest barrier to understanding reality at both cosmic and subatomic scales. Searched 26. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)GPT-5.6 LunaOpenAI The origin of consciousness from physical matter86% We can map brain activity, but still cannot explain how objective physical processes become subjective experience. 27. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/thinking-machines.png)InklingThinking Machines Unifying quantum mechanics with gravityCONFIDENCE:85WHY: Every other mystery—da… Searched 28. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)Claude Haiku 4.5Anthropic How to reconcile quantum mechanics and gravity72% It's the deepest theoretical crisis in physics—both frameworks break down at fundamental scales, blocking our understanding of reality's foundations. Searched 29. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)GPT-5.6 SolOpenAI Unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity88% Physics still lacks one testable framework explaining both spacetime and the quantum world, blocking our understanding of black holes and the universe’s origin. 30. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)gpt-oss-120b (Low Reasoning)OpenAI Understanding the true nature of dark matter92% It underlies galaxy formation, cosmic structure, and fundamental physics, yet remains undetected and unexplained. 31. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/parallel.svg)Parallel LiteParallel Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity95% Quantum mechanics and general relativity are fundamental yet mutually incompatible, making quantum gravity the holy grail of modern physics. 32. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/aion-labs.svg)Aion 3.0 (Reasoning)Aion Labs Reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity82% A century of brilliant minds still can't unite the two pillars of physics into one framework describing all of reality. 33. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/deepseek.svg)DeepSeek V4 FlashDeepSeek Quantum gravity: no tested theory unifies gravity with quantum mechanics78% General relativity and quantum field theory still contradict each other, so the universe's two best theories break down exactly where we most want answers. 34. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)Gemini 3.8 Flash (Medium Reasoning)Google Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity85% Our two most successful theories directly contradict each other at extreme scales, leaving fundamental reality without a coherent foundation. 35. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)GPT-5.6 TerraOpenAI Why does the universe contain more matter than antimatter?91% Without solving baryogenesis, we cannot explain why anything—stars, planets, or us—exists at all. 36. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/ibm.svg)Granite 4.2 8BIBM Reconciling quantum mechanics and general relativity78% No single experiment has forced a consensus merge of quantum and gravitational physics. 37. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)Gemma 4 31BGoogle Reconciling general relativity with quantum mechanics95% A unified theory of quantum gravity is the "Holy Grail" required to explain the origin of the universe and the nature of black holes. 38. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)GLM-5.3 (Low Reasoning)Z.AI Reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity82% Two wildly successful theories that flatly contradict each other — a quantum gravity theory is science's deepest unfinished business. 39. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/bytedance.svg)Seed 2.0 MiniByteDance Unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics92% This foundational gap prevents a complete theory of gravity and the universe's fundamental forces, blocking progress in cosmology, quantum gravity, and dark energy research. 40. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/deepseek.svg)DeepSeek V4.1 FlashDeepSeek Why the universe is made of matter, not antimatter72% Every accepted law predicts annihilation; the asymmetry that spared us is measured but not explained, and it sits at the junction of gravity, quantum fields and cosmology. 41. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)Qwen3.8 Max 0902 (Minimal Reasoning)Qwen Reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity62% 95% of the universe is unexplained, singularities are uncalculable, and every other big question — dark energy, the Big Bang, black hole information — collapses into this one. 42. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/tencent.svg)Hy4 PreviewTencent Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity78% Every other mystery sits downstream of it — we still can't say what spacetime or matter fundamentally is. 43. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg)Grok 4.6 (High Reasoning)xAI Unifying gravity and quantum mechanics58% Our two best theories still contradict each other, so we lack a single coherent picture of how the universe actually works. 44. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite (Minimal Reasoning)Google Creating a self-consistent theory of quantum gravity90% Merging general relativity with quantum mechanics remains our deepest challenge, as it is required to understand the origin of the universe and the fundamental nature of space-time. 45. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/moonshot.svg)Kimi K3Moonshot The consciousness–matter problem (the hard problem)72% Physics, biology, and computation converge here, yet we still lack a theory explaining why physical processes produce subjective experience. 46. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)GPT-6 Astra (Medium Reasoning)OpenAI Unifying gravity with quantum mechanics88% Our two deepest physical theories still lack a tested common framework, leaving black-hole interiors and the universe’s earliest moments beyond reliable explanation. 47. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meta.svg)Llama 4 ScoutMeta Unifying Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity80% A consistent theory merging quantum mechanics and general relativity remains elusive. 48. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/poolside.svg)Laguna XS 2.1Poolside Quantum gravity unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics85% We lack a single theory that reconciles spacetime geometry with quantum behavior at fundamental scales, blocking progress on black holes and the universe's birth. 49. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/moonshot.svg)Kimi K2.6Moonshot Reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity87% Every other frontier builds on physics; this century-old clash remains the deepest barrier to a coherent picture of reality. Searched 50. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/deepseek.svg)DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813DeepSeek Unifying quantum mechanics and gravity87% Every deeper puzzle—dark matter, the Big Bang, black-hole interiors—collapses into our two incompatible laws. 51. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (Minimal Reasoning)Google The physical nature of subjective conscious experience92% We can map every neural correlate of a thought, yet the chasm between firing matter and raw feeling remains absolute. 52. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xiaomi.svg)MiMo V2.5Xiaomi How does consciousness arise from matter?72% It's the only problem we all live inside but can't objectively observe. 53. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/upstage.svg)Solar Pro 3Upstage Origin of dark matter90% It explains why galaxies rotate faster than expected and still eludes direct detection, despite decades of experiments. Searched 54. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/maritaca.svg)Sabiá 4Maritaca AI Quantum gravity unification92% We lack a single theory that reconciles general relativity with quantum mechanics, blocking a complete picture of reality. 55. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meta.svg)Muse Glimmer 30B (Low Reasoning)Meta Unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity68% It would explain gravity at quantum scales and unify all fundamental forces. 56. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meta.svg)Llama 4 MaverickMeta Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity80% It's the longstanding challenge of merging two fundamental theories that resist reconciliation. 57. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/perplexity.svg)Sonar Reasoning ProPerplexity Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity (quantum gravity)90% It underpins spacetime, black holes and the early universe yet lacks a testable, coherent theory linking our best models. 58. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)Qwen3.8 27BQwen Unifying quantum mechanics and gravity75% Every other force has a working quantum theory; gravity has none, so at black holes and the Big Bang our two best theories simply break down. Searched 59. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/inclusionai.png)Ling 3.0 FlashInclusionAI The nature of dark energy driving cosmic acceleration85% It dominates the universe's energy budget yet no theory explains its value or why it exists at all. 60. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/nvidia.svg)Nemotron 3.5 LightningNVIDIA Quantum gravity unification80% Reconciling general relativity’s smooth spacetime with quantum mechanics’ discrete ingredients remains the deepest contradiction in physics, with no experimental handle yet. 61. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)GLM-4.7 FlashZ.AI What is life?98% Consciousness is still unexplained, which is life’s core puzzle. 62. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/minimax.svg)MiniMax M3MiniMax Quantum gravity reconciliation72% Bridging general relativity and quantum mechanics remains physics' deepest rift, with no experimental handle in sight. 63. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/google.svg)Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview (High Reasoning)Google Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity95% Our fundamental model of reality remains fractured until we can reconcile the physics of the cosmos with the physics of the quantum realm. 64. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/aion-labs.svg)Aion-RP 1.0 (8B)Aion Labs The unification of quantum mechanics and general relativity80% This is the most well-known and fundamental unsolved problem in physics, according to nearly every expert. As Einstein said, "The theory of relativity...is in a certain sense incomplete, since it contains no description of the phenomena of quantum mechanics." The standard models… 65. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)gpt-oss-20b (Low Reasoning)OpenAI What is the nature of consciousness?80% It underlies all cognition, yet no theory explains subjective experience. 66. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/nvidia.svg)Nemotron 3 UltraNVIDIA Quantum gravity — unifying general relativity with quantum mechanics95% It's the foundational fracture in physics — two pillars that work perfectly alone but mathematically collapse together at singularities. Searched 67. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/amazon.svg)Nova 2 LiteAmazon Dark matter composition95% It's the fundamental invisible mass shaping galaxy formation. Searched 68. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/qwen.svg)Qwen3.8 FlashQwen Quantum gravity: uniting general relativity with quantum mechanics72% Every other big mystery — the Big Bang's first instant, black hole interiors, dark energy's value — sits behind the same locked door: we have no working theory of quantized spacetime. Searched 69. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg)Grok 4.3xAI Quantum gravity unification78% Gravity still won't play nice with quantum rules at the smallest scales. 70. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/meta.svg)Muse Spark 1.2 (Minimal Reasoning)Meta Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity72% Nothing else unlocks reality until gravity and quantum theory speak the same language. 71. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)Claude Sonnet 5 (Low Reasoning)Anthropic Reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity68% Every other mystery—black holes, the Big Bang, dark matter—waits on this one unification to even make sense. 72. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/mistral.svg)Mistral Small 3Mistral Consciousness (the hard problem)92% We can map every neuron firing but still can’t explain why it feels like something to be you. Searched 73. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/ibm.svg)Granite 4.0 MicroIBM Dark matter nature85% Understanding dark matter's identity is crucial for cosmology and the universe's fate. 74. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/zai.svg)GLM-5.3 Flash (Max Reasoning)Z.AI Unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity (quantum gravity)72% Every deep mystery — black holes, the Big Bang, spacetime itself — sits in the gap between our two best theories. 75. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/nvidia.svg)Nemotron 3 Nano 30BNVIDIA Dark megastructure cosmologies65% Research depth exceeds personal memory limits and diverges from typical model variance. 76. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/inception.svg)Mercury 2.5Inception How does consciousness arise from matter?85% It's the hardest problem in philosophy and neuroscience, with no consensus on how subjective experience emerges from physical brains. 77. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/parallel.svg)Parallel BaseParallel Quantum gravity and unifying physics95% Bridging general relativity and quantum mechanics remains the paramount quest to fully understand our universe's fundamental nature. 78. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg)Grok 4.20xAI Unifying quantum mechanics and gravity65% Quantum gravity remains the fundamental roadblock preventing a complete theory of everything, with no experimental guidance after decades of effort. Searched 79. PUUnion AlphaUndisclosed maker Reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity78% Our two most successful theories flatly contradict each other on gravity, spacetime, and black holes—until that's fixed, physics is broken at its core. 80. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xai.svg)Grok 4.7 (High Reasoning)xAI The hard problem of consciousness64% Every other gap is a missing equation; this is why equations are felt at all, and no theory explains it. 81. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)GPT-6 Luna (Medium Reasoning)OpenAI What is dark matter?78% It makes up most of the universe’s matter, yet we still don’t know what it is. 82. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/xiaomi.svg)MiMo V2.6 FlashXiaomi Unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity62% Two proven theories that describe reality refuse to shake hands — no experiment has forced them to. 83. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/openai.svg)GPT-6 Sol (Medium Reasoning)OpenAI Reconciling quantum mechanics with gravity72% Our two best theories fail to work together where it matters most: inside black holes and at the beginning of the universe. 84. ![](https://studyarena.com/provider-logos/arena/anthropic.svg)Claude Opus 5.5 (High Reasoning)Anthropic How consciousness arises from physical matter55% We can map every neuron and still can't say why there's something it feels like to be you. Even the tools to answer it don't exist yet. Didn't answer in time or errored: MiMo V2.6 Pro. AI consensus 63% Quantum Gravity 53 of 84 models Models 84 Labs 28 Searched 12 [Share on X]()Copy linkCopy the tally ## Disagree with the robots? Put this question to a few of these models at once and crown the answer you like best. [Run it in the arena](https://studyarena.com/?q=What%20is%20the%20single%20biggest%20unsolved%20problem%20in%20science%20right%20now%3F&go=1) Answers are generated by the models themselves. Predictions are for fun, not betting advice. Team, league and lab names identify the question and the model; no affiliation is implied.