ABSTRACT
However, I have long been of the opinion that all this is not enough and I am advocating a 'project' (which is now a popular word) reflected in the title of the present article. I mean a compilation of a certain 'list' of problems which currently seem to be the most important and interesting. These problems should primarily be discussed and commented on in special lectures and papers. The formula 'everything about a particular issue and something about everything' is rather attractive but already unrealistic, for one cannot keep up with everything. At the same time, some subjects, questions and problems are somewhat distinguished for different reasons. The importance of an issue for humanity (to put it in a high-flown manner) may play its role. Such, for example, is the problem of controlled nuclear fusion with the purpose of obtaining energy. Of course, the questions concerning the fundamentals of physics, its leading edge (this field has frequently been referred to as elementary particle physics) is also distinguished. Particular attention is undoubtedly attracted by some problems of astronomy which, as in the times of Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, are now hard (and needless) to separate from physics. Such a list (of course duly updated) constitutes, I believe, a certain physical minimum. It includes issues of which every physicist should have an idea. Less trivial is perhaps the opinion that it is not at all difficult to attain such a goal and not much time and strength is needed for it. But this requires some effort not only on the part of those who learn but also on the part of 'senior fellows'. Namely, one should select problems to constitute the physical minimum, compile the corresponding 'list' and comment on it, explaining and filling it with content. This is exactly what I tried to do at the chair of Problems of Physics and Astrophysics of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology which was set up in 1968. For this purpose, special additional lectures were delivered (there were nearly 70 altogether and they were ended for 'technical reasons'; see reference [2], p 265). For the same purpose, I wrote a paper [1] in 1970, which had almost the same title as the present one. This has been updated many times, the last version opening book [2] published in 2001. In the years that have passed since then, not very many new results have been reported. Such a shortage can be accommodated. Another aspect is worse---over the 30 years my presentation has become morally antiquated. It is difficult to formulate this point clearly but this is the fate of all papers and books of this kind. Incidentally, when I was young, a seminal work for me was 0 D Khvolson's book The Physics of Our Days (New Concepts of Contemporary Physics in a Generally Accessible Presentation) which appeared in 1932 as the fourth 'revised and updated' edition [6]. I think now, that this book was then already somewhat outdated in regard to the
