What is Mystery: Definition and 912 Discussions

Mystery is a fiction genre where the nature of an event, usually a murder or other crime, remains mysterious until the end of the story. Often within a closed circle of suspects, each suspect is usually provided with a credible motive and a reasonable opportunity for committing the crime. The central character is often a detective (such as Sherlock Holmes), who eventually solves the mystery by logical deduction from facts presented to the reader. Some mystery books are non-fiction. Mystery fiction can be detective stories in which the emphasis is on the puzzle or suspense element and its logical solution such as a whodunit. Mystery fiction can be contrasted with hardboiled detective stories, which focus on action and gritty realism.
Mystery fiction can involve a supernatural mystery in which the solution does not have to be logical and even in which there is no crime involved. This usage was common in the pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s, whose titles such as Dime Mystery, Thrilling Mystery and Spicy Mystery offered what were then described as complicated to solve and weird stories: supernatural horror in the vein of Grand Guignol. That contrasted with parallel titles of the same names which contained conventional hardboiled crime fiction. The first use of "mystery" in that sense was by Dime Mystery, which started out as an ordinary crime fiction magazine but switched to "weird menace" during the later part of 1933.

View More On Wikipedia.org
Recent contents Top users
  1. Spinnor

    I Most-detailed-ever simulations of a BH solve long standing mystery

    "An international team has constructed the most detailed, highest resolution simulation of a black hole to date. The simulation proves theoretical predictions about the nature of accretion disks—the matter that orbits and eventually falls into a black hole—that have never before been seen. The...
  2. R

    The Mystery of Photons Inside Electrons: Where Do They Come From?

    we know that when a electron lost its energy , it will emit photon , but why electron have a photon inside ? does it already exit in a electron from the beginning or it comes from environment ? if comes from environment , where does photon come from?
  3. BillTre

    Mystery Find: Can You Help Identify It?

    A friend of mine got this from an estate sale today. We're trying to figure out what it is. top view: Side view lying flat, moving parts sticking out further than central part: Center pulled up, moving parts pulled in toward center: I'm think if used upside down, it could be lowered into...
  4. remormalise

    I Unveiling the Mystery of Entangled Particle Spin

    If you change the spin of an entangled particle without knowing its original spin, what happens to the other entangled particle?
  5. Lord Crc

    B Exploring the Mystery of Black Hole Ringdown

    I thought I'd create a new thread rather than derail. In https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/if-quark-stars-exist-why-do-neutron-stars-become-black-holes.937452/#post-6143231 it was explained to me that gravitational waves do not escape the interior. The reason I thought they did is that we...
  6. M

    Exploring the Mystery of Unreachable EMR

    When photons from distant stars [etc] are received why does the rest of the electromagnetic spectrum not reach us.
  7. RUTA

    Insights The Quantum Mystery of Wigner's Friend - Comments

    Greg Bernhardt submitted a new blog post Wigner's Friend Continue reading the Original Blog Post.
  8. Copernicuson

    I Are There Any Theories for the Mystery Particle at 28 GeV?

    Hi, I was wondering if there are any proposed ideas for the mystery particle at 28 GeV? Please see article http://theconversation.com/mystery-particle-spotted-discovery-would-require-physics-so-weird-that-nobody-has-even-thought-of-it-106260
  9. N

    A Unlocking the Mystery of Mass: Exploring Electron Inertial & Heavy Mass

    In Abraham Pais book (which was first published in 1982), he states the following: "Quantum field theory has taught us that particles nevertheless have structure, arising from quantum fluctuations. Recently, unified field theories have taught us that the mass of the electron is certainly not...
  10. Arman777

    Is the Mystery Particle Discovery Just Media Hype?

    Mystery particle spotted? Discovery would require physics so weird that nobody has even thought of it http://flip.it/Y6A5he Could be DM ? Or really an error
  11. jedishrfu

    B Breaking Down the Mystery of Ice VII Nucleation

    A new form of ice has been discovered dubbed ice VII: https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/10/weird-water-phase-ice-vii-can-grow-as-fast-as-1000-miles-per-hour/ https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.155701
  12. Joe591

    Possible Causes for Hole in Radiator Tank

    What would cause a hole to form in the top aluminium tank of a radiator of an earthmoving machine. The tank material is 6mm thick and is made from 1050 aluminium plate. The material around the hole has bubbles almost like pitting corrosion or like somebody went and took a flame to it. The rest...
  13. George Jones

    Early Morning Mystery: Pitch Black at 9:45am in BC

    It is 9:45 am in my city in British Columbia, and it is pitch black. All the streetlights are on!
  14. R

    I The Mystery of Room Coolers During an Unusually Hot Summer

    It has been an unusually hot summer where I live. I am not surprised to be getting ads for 'room coolers' due to this. However are not such devices contrary to well known physics? In regions where hot summers are usual. air conditioners are used, they pump the excess heat outside. How though can...
  15. Semiconductor

    B Unveiling the Mystery of Invisible Atoms

    If atom are invisible then how can one say that atoms are made up of electrons nucleus and quasi particles.
  16. H

    Plasma ball electric shock mystery

    Plasma ball has a high voltage. Why don't we get an electric shock when we touch it?
  17. A

    Solve the Mystery: Three Non-Negative Integers & Perfect Powers of 2

    Question: There are three non-negative integers with the following property: If you multiply any two of the numbers and subtract the third number, the result is a perfect power of 2. Find these three numbers that satisfy this property. My attempt: I worked out that the three numbers must be...
  18. Steve Crook

    Uncovering the Mystery of WGL's Cantaba Alloy

    I'm trying to learn more about this alloy and there is scant little on Google. William Godfrey Lecomber created a copper alloy for use in frictionless bearings and apparently huge amounts were sold to America and South Africa. WGL called the alloy Cantaba and named his farm in Ruthin (which he...
  19. parshyaa

    I What if the mystery of unified theory is solved?

    What if the mystery of unified theory is solved (i.e we found a TOE)? What would be the next mystery in physics(will their be any or will the context of physics would be completed(i don't think so,what do you think?).
  20. Ryaners

    Unraveling the Mystery of EMF Internal Resistance

    I'm having a difficult time understanding why the internal resistance of the EMF source is disregarded in this problem. 1. Homework Statement You are asked to determine the resistance per meter of a long piece of wire. You have a battery, a voltmeter, and an ammeter. You put the leads from the...
  21. Buzz Bloom

    A Mystery re Fluorescent Lights

    A Mystery re Fluorescent Lights I have a fixture F1 from the 1960s with two 2' fluorescent lights B1 and B2. Recently they both began to flicker. A second fixture F2 has a single 2' light B3 which did not flicker. In F2 I replaced B3 with B1. It did not flicker. I then replaced in F2 B1...
  22. Evo

    Mystery Species of Human Relative Discovered: Homo Naledi

    It will be interesting to see what comes of this. https://www.yahoo.com/news/homo-naledi-mystery-human-species-091635429.html
  23. W

    The Mystery of Rising Temperatures When Heating is Turned Off

    When a heating experiment for example when measuring the specific heat capacity of an aluminum block, why is it practical to turn the heater off and wait for the highest temperature reading on the thermometer and take that reading. Why does the reading even rise when the heater is turned off...
  24. Jaime Derecho PE

    Kitchen Counter Moisture Mystery

    I have noticed a phenomenon I cannot explain in my kitchen. Whenever I place a warm object on the granite counter [e.g. plate from microwave], when I remove the object, the counter is covered with moisture where the object was. I'm guessing it is condensing from the air due to the temp...
  25. S

    Mystery Apparatus: Can You Identify It?

    Hello everyone, This is my second year teaching Physics and I have come upon an interesting apparatus that no one can seem to identify. It appears to be two vacuum tubes protruding from a casing which includes two sets of three parallel brass plates, presumably with some sort of dielectric...
  26. anirudh

    The Mystery of Exhaustion: Exploring Where Our Energy Goes

    Why do we exhausted sometimes even when no work(in terms of science) is done.where does our energy go?
  27. lfdahl

    MHB Solve the Mystery: \[x + \frac{1}{x}\]?

    If \[x^{x-\sqrt{x}} = \sqrt{x}+1\]- then what is the value of \[x + \frac{1}{x}?\]
  28. B

    Unlocking the Mystery of German Concrete-Penetrating Artillery

    Hi This example of KEnergy and resistance seems incorrect. Sabot. An artillery projectile with narrow core and wide plastic rings to give energy to smaller drag . .. "This, in combination with the sub-projectiles’ higher sectional density, gives the resulting sub-projectile vastly reduced...
  29. eigenmax

    Radio Tube Mystery: Solving the Buzzing Buzzer

    I recently got a 5 cm high radio tube from a old radio in my house. It has 9 pins ,arranged in a C shape at the base, a getter at the top and parallel metal plates inside. I decided to use my GMC-300E plus ,Geiger counter to check if it had a thoriated cathode. It did not. Just for fun, I two...
  30. M

    Unraveling the Mystery of "Floating Rule" in an Experiment

    Today I was leading my students in an experiment that would reveal "the rule for what floats." We had previously floated (or sank) various objects in regular, room temperature tap water. I then weighed out 100 grams each of sugar and water, mixed them together and weighed them again. To my...
  31. A

    MHB Guess the Mystery Number in this List of 4!

    List contains 1, square root of 2, x and x squared and the list range is 4. I guessed 2 but it is not correct.
  32. Jezza

    Exploring the Mystery of Hull Speed: The Online vs. Textbook Debate

    There is a well known rule of thumb amongst sailors that a boat has a theoretical maximum speed called the hull speed, given by v_h \approx 1.34 \sqrt{L_{wl}}, where LWL is the waterline length of the hull. This so-called rule is pretty much complete rubbish; a boat can overcome this speed with...
  33. SD das

    I Exploring the Mystery of Dark Matter

    What is exactly the dark matter? There are lot's of things hitting at a particle nature of dark matter I mean observation of the bullet cluster, freeze out times in the earlier universe, the third peak in the CMB power spectrum. I think there is no known consistent explanation by modified...
  34. M

    I Exploring the Mystery of Cosmic Void Between Galaxies

    Hey guys, Regarding the cosmic void between galaxies, is it really empty? If you read articles from pop science sources mostly said "cosmic voids are devoid of matter", "there are full of dark matter", etc. Thoughts?
  35. J

    Exploring the Mystery of a Motor with No Magnet!

    Hi guys, I recently extracted a motor from an old washing machine and came across some really interesting things when I hooked it up to a D.C. power pack. Firstly, I connected a lead to each brush and powered it will 12V D.C. and it span really fast. I cannot work out why because the startor...
  36. T

    I Exploring the Mystery of 3 Basic Units

    Hello everyone. As far as I know, any unit can be expressed in terms of basic units: time, length and mass. It quite clear that we could choose them differently but in any case we get three units as the base.. And I ask: Why? What fundamental properties of nater make it It happens that any...
  37. T

    I Unraveling the Quantum Eraser Mystery

    hi guys, I'm new to this beautiful forum and i signed up to ask a question that drives me nuts for weeks. I am german so my english sucks but, i learned about this experiment with the quantum eraser. basically the experiment goes like this. you shoot photons through a double slit and behind the...
  38. ProfessorLogical

    The Mystery of the Missing Dollar: Can You Solve It?

    it's not all that sophisticated but it has given a hard time even to some math people. 3 people on a trip go to a hotel to get a room to spend the night in. the desk clerk just happens to not be there, so the bellhop says can take care of you but I'm not sure how much a room cost, i think...
  39. M

    Solving the Mystery of ##\bar{\psi}_L \psi_L = \bar{\psi} \psi_L##

    Hi, It's known that ## \bar{\psi}_L \psi_L = \bar{\psi} \psi_L## I tried to work this out but i do not reach that Here what I do : since ## \bar{\psi} = \psi^\dagger \gamma^0##, and ## \gamma_5 \gamma_0 = - \gamma_0 \gamma_5 ## then ## \bar{\psi}_L \psi_L = \frac{1}{4} (1-\gamma_5 )...
  40. NatanijelVasic

    Unraveling the Mystery of Binaural Beats: Nat's Story

    Hello everyone, I have been thinking about binaural beats, and after learning about the inner workings of the ear, there is something that I cannot explain. A binaural beat is the pulsating effect perceived by the brain when slightly offset frequencies are played in each ear. In my example...
  41. wolram

    B Unsolved Mystery: Where Do These X-Rays Come From?

    Has anyone an idea where these X rays come from? https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160926104700.htm From Science daily, Space is filled with types of light we can't see -- from infrared signals released by hot stars and galaxies, to the cosmic microwave background. Some of this...
  42. F

    The Mystery of Sleep: Uncovering the Secrets of Why We Need It

    Why we sleep is said to be one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of science. Haven't they cracked it yet? is there any animal or even living system that doesn't sleep?
  43. S

    What is causing the faint clattering noise in my desktop computer?

    I build new desktop computers every few years and I like quiet machines. Hard drives (to my ears) are noisy, so my last four machines have used a combination of solid state drives and spinning lap top drives. When I use any of these machines I hear faint sounds that I've always interpreted as...
  44. Buzz Bloom

    Solving Household Mystery: Fluorescent Light Fixture Issues in Humidity

    For some time now there has been a phenomenon in my home that I consider to be a mystery, since I do not understand it. I am hopeful that someone at this site may have a helpful suggestion. My home was built in 1962, and the florescent light fixtures are the original hardware. Our kitchen has...
  45. A

    I The Mystery of the Fermi Surface & Semiconductors

    My teacher told me the other day that a semiconductor does not have a fermi surface. I didn't understand this remark. As I understand it the Fermi Surface is just the surface in k-space spanned by the highest occupied energy levels. Surely in a semiconductor you will also have some highest...
  46. K

    Ball Lightning: Uncovering the Mystery of N_7^{14}, H_1^1, & O_8^{16}

    Homework Statement Ball lightning is a sphere shaped lightning that stays long before it explodes. they are sometimes created in a lightning storm. The theory says they are made of nitrogen ions surrounded by water molecules. the temp' inside is 6000C and outside 200C. Nitrogen: ##N_7^{14}##...
  47. scientepid

    Exploring the Mystery of Gravity

    Hello, I am new to this forum. I work at a major science museum in the US. I have been thinking a lot about gravity lately, and would like to start a general discussion on this topic, especially because of the recent discovery of gravity waves, the higgs field, as well as some of my own, less...
  48. R

    I Exploring the Mystery of the Northern Lights

    How do the northern lights work? I have already know why it emits light, but why in waves? Why does it move? Are the particles that excite oxygen the ones that were deflected, or the ones that were already heading straight towards the Arctic Circle? Feel free to post any questions as they come...
  49. M

    I Uncovering the Mystery of the Electric Field of a Dipole Antenna

    Hello, Is it possible to derive the electric field of a dipole antenna mathematically? Does it look like a pure dipole far away? I am experimenting with these things and they are a bit mysterious to me. Thanks for your answers!
  50. M

    What is causing strange sounds from glasses in my apartment at night?

    In our apartment, for the last few months, my wife and I are being puzzled by strange sounds coming from the dining area while we remain in the bedroom at night. The first time we heard, I was quiet. Then my wife said, "Did you hear that?" So, it was no hallucination whatsoever. It is a distinct...
Back
Top