# Unanwserable Questions. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2003, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875 "2003-11-18T08:49:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/21 "2003-11-18T16:16:38Z")
As a father of a three year old, I can tell you, there are _plenty_ of unanswerable questions. And “because” or the more definitive “Just because” do not suffice. ---
**Author:** ![owlofcreamcheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/22 "2003-11-18T17:09:34Z")
most questions are answerable, just not in a way that will satisfy you. X is the set of answers to the question you asked. any question: the answer is X. its a valid and truthful arguement that is correct… but pretty crappy. ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/23 "2003-11-18T18:11:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cugel \* > \*\*Why is up? \*\* WHAT’s up? And what time is it? Does anyone really know what time it is?! Hm. That would make a good song. - Does anyone really care? * * * True Blue Jack ---
**Author:** ![smootman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@smootman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smootman)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/24 "2003-11-18T18:20:37Z")
Does anyone REALLY know what time it is? ---
**Author:** ![smootman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@smootman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smootman)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/25 "2003-11-18T18:22:06Z")
Does anybody really care? ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/26 "2003-11-18T18:31:45Z")
Are there any well formed questions that are unanswerable? Questions like “What happened before the big bang?” or “What exists inside a black hole?” or “What is the largest Prime Number?” are not well formed, since the word ‘before’ presupposes the existance of time, and the word ‘inside’ presupposes the existance of spacial dimensions, and the words ‘largest Prime Number’ presupposes the existance of a largest Prime Number. Similarly there are questions that we cannot answer, but are not by their essence unanswerable. like “What happened on 23271 days before 1st January 1 A.D.?” or “Does a tree falling in the woods make a sound if no one is their to hear it?” both cannot be answered because the knowledge of precisely what happened is not available, but both are answerable questions in that an answer exists, we just don’t know happen to know it. Furthermore their are questions that can have many different correct answers like “What do you want?” “How are you?” I think the only truly unanswerable questions are of the form " Is ‘This statement is false’ true? " which contain a self-referential loop. ---
**Author:** ![noname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@noname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noname)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/27 "2003-11-18T18:57:54Z")
What went wrong? This may seem answerable, but you find that the answer remains elusive. Also , the classic… **What came first, the chicken or the egg?** ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/28 "2003-11-18T19:37:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by noname \* > Also , the classic… **What came first, the chicken or the egg?** The chicken and the egg are in bed together. The chicken is happily smoking a cigarette while the egg looks quite upset: “Now I guess we know the answer to _that_ question.” ---
**Author:** ![the\_duke\_69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@the\_duke\_69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_duke_69)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/29 "2003-11-18T19:39:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glee \* > \*\* > Where did the phrase ‘the whole nine yards’ come from? > \*\* Back in world war two pilots ammunition belts used to 9 yards long and when they shot someone down they ussually got the whole nine yards. there for the phrase whole nine yards was born. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/30 "2003-11-18T19:54:26Z")
Is it safe? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/31 "2003-11-18T19:57:08Z")
Why is a raven like a writing desk? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/32 "2003-11-18T19:59:56Z")
And finally: Who put the “ram” in the “ram-alam-a-dingdong”? ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/33 "2003-11-18T20:12:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by the\_duke\_69 \* > \*\*Back in world war two pilots ammunition belts used to 9 yards long and when they shot someone down they ussually got the whole nine yards. there for the phrase whole nine yards was born. \*\* **Duke** , I hope I’m being whooshed. If not, please do a Board search for “the whole nine yards”, then report back. ---
**Author:** ![the\_duke\_69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@the\_duke\_69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_duke_69)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/34 "2003-11-18T20:17:58Z")
nope I did extensive research on the term, I do vulenteer work at a world war two mueseum in my area. I can supply the full etymology if one wishes. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/35 "2003-11-18T21:27:01Z")
**Duke** , I suggest you do that search that **Rube** sugested. Limit it to Comments on Cecil’s Columns and you will probably find some dozen or so threads with dozens of different suggested origins. None of which have been verified. If you have an early citation, perhaps you could share it with us. As for answers in general, [this page](http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/gradgrind.html) has lots of answers to some difficult questions. Perhaps you guys could address your questions to the owner of it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/36 "2003-11-18T22:33:52Z")
Who would have been here if I’d never been born? What would have happened if I _hadn’t_ performed action X - you can speculate, even be quite assured and certain but never really _know the truth_. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/37 "2003-11-18T22:51:36Z")
**Mangetout** those are just questions for which the answer is unknown. It is nontheless reasonable to believe an answer to them exists, so the questions are answerable, just the answer given cannot be confirmed as true. Is there a well formed question (ie a question that doesn’t include internal inconsistancies, and contains all the information that could be needed to answer the question) that cannot have an answer? ---
**Author:** ![hawkeyejo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19b73/32.png) [@hawkeyejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawkeyejo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/38 "2003-11-18T23:11:17Z")
Really people, quit horseing around. There’s only one truly unanswerable question in this universe - Why Me??? ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/39 "2003-11-18T23:20:13Z")
I can answer all of the above questions: “I don’t know.” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875/40 "2003-11-19T00:18:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bippy the Beardless \* > \*\ ***Mangetout** those are just questions for which the answer is unknown. It is nontheless reasonable to believe an answer to them exists, so the questions are answerable, just the answer given cannot be confirmed as true. Ah, fair enough. > [@](#): > > Is there a well formed question (ie a question that doesn’t include internal inconsistancies, and contains all the information that could be needed to answer the question) that cannot have an answer? \*\* I don’t think there can be, because "We don’t know’ is an answer (just not a very helpful or accurate one). Or have I grasped the wrong end of the stick once again? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanwserable-questions/213875.md?page=3)