Question 1

In which of the following places have astronomers NOT found evidence for the building blocks of life (organic compounds)?

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth 
B)  comets 
C)  meteorites 
D)  clouds of interstellar gas and dust 
E)  we have found evidence for such materials in all of the above sites 
A)  Earth 
B)  comets 
C)  meteorites 
D)  clouds of interstellar gas and dust 
E)  we have found evidence for such materials in all of the above sites E

Question 2

In the early 1950's, Stanley Miller and Harold Urey conducted a series of pioneering laboratory experiments involving simulations of the early Earth. What did these experiments reveal?

Accepted Answer

A)  that the early Earth was constantly bombarded by asteroids and comets 
B)  that under the conditions on the early Earth, they could synthesize some of the building blocks of life in a laboratory 
C)  that the early Earth was much hotter than anyone had suspected 
D)  that the early Earth had received microscopic life in meteorites that had come from Mars in the very beginning of the solar system's history 
E)  that the early Earth had to have been covered with a thick layer of ice, just like Jupiter's satellite Europa 
A)  that the early Earth was constantly bombarded by asteroids and comets 
B)  that under the conditions on the early Earth, they could synthesize some of the building blocks of life in a laboratory 
C)  that the early Earth was much hotter than anyone had suspected 
D)  that the early Earth had received microscopic life in meteorites that had come from Mars in the very beginning of the solar system's history 
E)  that the early Earth had to have been covered with a thick layer of ice, just like Jupiter's satellite Europa B

Question 3

Photosynthesis, once it was planet-wide, changed the atmosphere of the Earth by introducing a significant amount of

Accepted Answer

A)  oxygen 
B)  carbon dioxide 
C)  methane 
D)  ammonia 
E)  vibranium 
A)  oxygen 
B)  carbon dioxide 
C)  methane 
D)  ammonia 
E)  vibranium A

Question 4

What does the Fermi Paradox say?

Accepted Answer

A)  Given all the time since the Big Bang and all the stars, why has some form of intelligent life in the Galaxy not established a network throughout the Galaxy and visited us? 
B)  Given the size of the Galaxy, there should be an exact duplicate of the Earth somewhere and we should have found it 
C)  If life on Earth took a miracle to form, then there should be no life anywhere else 
D)  If all the planets in our solar system besides Earth are lifeless, then it must follow that most of the planets around other stars are also lifeless and finding life is hopeless 
E)  When Fermi got ill, he always needed two doctors to diagnose him 
A)  Given all the time since the Big Bang and all the stars, why has some form of intelligent life in the Galaxy not established a network throughout the Galaxy and visited us? 
B)  Given the size of the Galaxy, there should be an exact duplicate of the Earth somewhere and we should have found it 
C)  If life on Earth took a miracle to form, then there should be no life anywhere else 
D)  If all the planets in our solar system besides Earth are lifeless, then it must follow that most of the planets around other stars are also lifeless and finding life is hopeless 
E)  When Fermi got ill, he always needed two doctors to diagnose him

Question 5

Which of the following is a recent (last few decades) discovery that confirms the key idea of the Copernican Principle?

Accepted Answer

A)  that the Earth has a Moon 
B)  that gravity waves exist 
C)  that planets around other stars are common 
D)  that 65 million years ago a large asteroid hit the Earth 
E)  that people from Eastern Europe are pretty smart 
A)  that the Earth has a Moon 
B)  that gravity waves exist 
C)  that planets around other stars are common 
D)  that 65 million years ago a large asteroid hit the Earth 
E)  that people from Eastern Europe are pretty smart

Question 6

Which of the following is, to the best of our knowledge, in the habitable zone of its star:

Accepted Answer

A)  a "hot Jupiter" taking 4 days to orbit a G-type main sequence star 
B)  a planet about 1.05 AU from a G-type main sequence star 
C)  a Jupiter-mass planet taking 15 years to orbit a K-type main sequence star 
D)  a planet in an orbit the size of the Earth's around a red giant star 
E)  all of the above 
A)  a "hot Jupiter" taking 4 days to orbit a G-type main sequence star 
B)  a planet about 1.05 AU from a G-type main sequence star 
C)  a Jupiter-mass planet taking 15 years to orbit a K-type main sequence star 
D)  a planet in an orbit the size of the Earth's around a red giant star 
E)  all of the above

Question 7

Scientists are impressed with extremophiles, life forms that can survive under what seems to humans to be extremely unpleasant conditions. In which of the following environments have we not found life:

Accepted Answer

A)  temperatures near or below the freezing point of water 
B)  temperatures near or above the boiling point of water 
C)  very acid environments 
D)  conditions where the radiation dosage is high 
E)  conditions resembling the photosphere of the Sun
Section 30.3: Searching for Life Beyond Earth 
A)  temperatures near or below the freezing point of water 
B)  temperatures near or above the boiling point of water 
C)  very acid environments 
D)  conditions where the radiation dosage is high 
E)  conditions resembling the photosphere of the Sun
Section 30.3: Searching for Life Beyond Earth

Question 8

Which of the following is a good summary of what most astronomers think about UFO reports in the popular media?

Accepted Answer

A)  so far there is no scientific evidence that UFO's have anything to do with life outside the Earth 
B)  it is now clearly established that alien spacecraft have crashed on Earth; we have the bodies of the aliens who flew them here 
C)  while no UFO's have landed, we have overheard communications between them with our radio surveys and thus have evidence that there are intelligent creatures aboard them 
D)  UFO's are now known to come from the planet Mars, the only other planet that we know has life on it 
E)  UFO's have kidnapped a number of Earth inhabitants, including at least one well-known astronomer; her reports convinced other scientists that UFO's are indeed alien spaceships 
A)  so far there is no scientific evidence that UFO's have anything to do with life outside the Earth 
B)  it is now clearly established that alien spacecraft have crashed on Earth; we have the bodies of the aliens who flew them here 
C)  while no UFO's have landed, we have overheard communications between them with our radio surveys and thus have evidence that there are intelligent creatures aboard them 
D)  UFO's are now known to come from the planet Mars, the only other planet that we know has life on it 
E)  UFO's have kidnapped a number of Earth inhabitants, including at least one well-known astronomer; her reports convinced other scientists that UFO's are indeed alien spaceships

Question 9

According to astronomers, which of the following places in the outer parts of our solar system might be a reasonable place for life to exist?

Accepted Answer

A)  in the core of the planet Saturn 
B)  in the rings of Neptune 
C)  in the mountains of Pluto 
D)  under the ice of Jupiter's moon Europa 
E)  on the surface of some of the smaller members of the Kuiper Belt 
A)  in the core of the planet Saturn 
B)  in the rings of Neptune 
C)  in the mountains of Pluto 
D)  under the ice of Jupiter's moon Europa 
E)  on the surface of some of the smaller members of the Kuiper Belt

Question 10

One reason that some scientists think that there may be life under the ice-crust of Jupiter's moon Europa is that:

Accepted Answer

A)  Europa is unusually warm on its surface; in some places the climate resembles Hawaii on Earth. 
B)  Life has already been found on Io, Jupiter's inner-most large moon 
C)  Life has been found on Earth, at the bottom of the ocean, deriving its energy not from sun-light but from hot mineral-laden vents coming from deeper inside our planet; something similar could happen at the bottom of the ocean on Europa 
D)  meteorites blasted off Europa have been found on Earth and we detect the building blocks of life inside these meteorites from Europa 
E)  we are receiving intriguing radio messages from Europa that indicate some form of intelligence lives there 
A)  Europa is unusually warm on its surface; in some places the climate resembles Hawaii on Earth. 
B)  Life has already been found on Io, Jupiter's inner-most large moon 
C)  Life has been found on Earth, at the bottom of the ocean, deriving its energy not from sun-light but from hot mineral-laden vents coming from deeper inside our planet; something similar could happen at the bottom of the ocean on Europa 
D)  meteorites blasted off Europa have been found on Earth and we detect the building blocks of life inside these meteorites from Europa 
E)  we are receiving intriguing radio messages from Europa that indicate some form of intelligence lives there

Question 11

For the complex biochemical reactions of life (as we know it) to happen, a solvent is required. What is that solvent for life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  ammonia 
B)  methane 
C)  water 
D)  carbon dioxide 
E)  diet Coke or diet Pepsi 
A)  ammonia 
B)  methane 
C)  water 
D)  carbon dioxide 
E)  diet Coke or diet Pepsi

Question 12

Chemically, the process leading to life on Earth began with lots of liquid water and

Accepted Answer

A)  helium 
B)  hydrocarbons (molecules which had hydrogen and carbon) 
C)  radium and its isotopes 
D)  molecules containing iron 
E)  molecules containing iridium 
A)  helium 
B)  hydrocarbons (molecules which had hydrogen and carbon) 
C)  radium and its isotopes 
D)  molecules containing iron 
E)  molecules containing iridium

Question 13

One place that astronomers think might have had life start long ago is Mars. Which of the following is not a discovery that we have made on Mars so far?

Accepted Answer

A)  observing what looks like dried up river channels from orbiting spacecraft 
B)  the discovery of organic materials (the chemical building blocks of life, such as amino acids) by spacecraft that have landed 
C)  the discovery that Mars long ago had plenty of flowing water, from the composition and layering of some of the rocks examined by Mars rovers 
D)  the discovery of mudstone on Mars, which indicates that ancient Mars may have been more habitable than Mars today 
E)  the discovery of significant amounts of frozen water on Mars, under the surface 
A)  observing what looks like dried up river channels from orbiting spacecraft 
B)  the discovery of organic materials (the chemical building blocks of life, such as amino acids) by spacecraft that have landed 
C)  the discovery that Mars long ago had plenty of flowing water, from the composition and layering of some of the rocks examined by Mars rovers 
D)  the discovery of mudstone on Mars, which indicates that ancient Mars may have been more habitable than Mars today 
E)  the discovery of significant amounts of frozen water on Mars, under the surface

Question 14

Think for a moment about an atom of the element lead (atomic number 82) inside the radio that you listen to in the morning. In which of the following places has this atom probably NOT been during the course of its existence?

Accepted Answer

A)  a previous generation star 
B)  a supernova explosion 
C)  the Sun 
D)  a cloud of gas and dust which would clump to become a star and a family of planets 
E)  the Earth's crust 
A)  a previous generation star 
B)  a supernova explosion 
C)  the Sun 
D)  a cloud of gas and dust which would clump to become a star and a family of planets 
E)  the Earth's crust

Question 15

If you wanted to find a type of atom in your little finger that has been in its present form (been the same element) since the beginning of the universe, which element should you look for?

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen 
B)  carbon 
C)  iron 
D)  oxygen 
E)  Einsteinium 
A)  hydrogen 
B)  carbon 
C)  iron 
D)  oxygen 
E)  Einsteinium

Question 16

The Drake Equation allows astronomers to estimate

Accepted Answer

A)  the age of the universe 
B)  the location of the Sun within the Milky Way Galaxy 
C)  the number of civilizations out among the stars with which we might communicate 
D)  the rate at which the universe expands 
E)  the number of ducks that we in the United States use for food each year 
A)  the age of the universe 
B)  the location of the Sun within the Milky Way Galaxy 
C)  the number of civilizations out among the stars with which we might communicate 
D)  the rate at which the universe expands 
E)  the number of ducks that we in the United States use for food each year

Question 17

The fastest speed at which we might communicate with another technological civilization among the stars (according to our present understanding of science) is

Accepted Answer

A)  the speed of sound (the natural speed for messages) 
B)  the speed of light 
C)  the speed of the Voyager spacecraft (which is typical of our space probes) 
D)  instantly (as fast as we want) -- if we only knew where they were located 
E)  the orbital speed of the Earth 
A)  the speed of sound (the natural speed for messages) 
B)  the speed of light 
C)  the speed of the Voyager spacecraft (which is typical of our space probes) 
D)  instantly (as fast as we want) -- if we only knew where they were located 
E)  the orbital speed of the Earth

Question 18

Scientists think that the life we have on Earth today originated some time between 3.5 and 3.8 billion years ago. Yet the solar system and the Earth are known to be at least 4.5 billion years old. Which of the following is one reason life as we know it had to wait until 3.5 to 3.8 billion years ago to get going?

Accepted Answer

A)  supernovae were exploding near the Sun's location every year back then 
B)  the Sun was so much cooler when the Earth formed, that the Earth's oceans (and even Mars' oceans) were frozen over for billions of years 
C)  before 3.8 billion years ago, the Earth was experiencing a period of heavy bombardment, when giant chunks of rock and ice left over from planet formation kept hitting our planet and making it uninhabitable 
D)  experiments like the one done by Miller and Urey show that life on Earth could not form until plants produced a lot of oxygen for our atmosphere 
E)  the early solar system was filled with dark matter, and life could not form with so much dark matter around 
A)  supernovae were exploding near the Sun's location every year back then 
B)  the Sun was so much cooler when the Earth formed, that the Earth's oceans (and even Mars' oceans) were frozen over for billions of years 
C)  before 3.8 billion years ago, the Earth was experiencing a period of heavy bombardment, when giant chunks of rock and ice left over from planet formation kept hitting our planet and making it uninhabitable 
D)  experiments like the one done by Miller and Urey show that life on Earth could not form until plants produced a lot of oxygen for our atmosphere 
E)  the early solar system was filled with dark matter, and life could not form with so much dark matter around

Question 19

In a globular cluster, astronomers (someday) discover a star with the same mass as our Sun, but consisting entirely of hydrogen and helium. Is this star a good place to point our SETI antennas and search for radio signals from an advanced civilization?

Accepted Answer

A)  yes, because such a star is probably old and a technological civilization will have had a long time to evolve and develop there 
B)  yes, because we have already found radio signals from another civilization living near a star in a globular cluster 
C)  no, because such a star would most likely not have a stable (main-sequence) stage that is long enough for a technological civilization to develop 
D)  no, because such a star (and any planets around it) would not have the heavier elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc.) that we believe are necessary to start life as we know it 
E)  yes, because globular clusters are among the closest star clusters to us, so that they would be easy to search for radio signals 
A)  yes, because such a star is probably old and a technological civilization will have had a long time to evolve and develop there 
B)  yes, because we have already found radio signals from another civilization living near a star in a globular cluster 
C)  no, because such a star would most likely not have a stable (main-sequence) stage that is long enough for a technological civilization to develop 
D)  no, because such a star (and any planets around it) would not have the heavier elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc.) that we believe are necessary to start life as we know it 
E)  yes, because globular clusters are among the closest star clusters to us, so that they would be easy to search for radio signals

Question 20

If alien beings found one of the Voyager spacecraft in a million years, what would they find aboard?

Accepted Answer

A)  a container with a concentrated sample of the most common Earth bacteria 
B)  a flag from the Soviet Union 
C)  an audio and video record 
D)  a human skull done in bronze 
E)  a video tape with every episode of the original "Star Trek" TV series 
A)  a container with a concentrated sample of the most common Earth bacteria 
B)  a flag from the Soviet Union 
C)  an audio and video record 
D)  a human skull done in bronze 
E)  a video tape with every episode of the original "Star Trek" TV series

Exam 30: Life in the Universe

In which of the following places have astronomers NOT found evidence for the building blocks of life (organic compounds)?

In the early 1950's, Stanley Miller and Harold Urey conducted a series of pioneering laboratory experiments involving simulations of the early Earth. What did these experiments reveal?

Photosynthesis, once it was planet-wide, changed the atmosphere of the Earth by introducing a significant amount of

What does the Fermi Paradox say?

Which of the following is a recent (last few decades) discovery that confirms the key idea of the Copernican Principle?

Which of the following is, to the best of our knowledge, in the habitable zone of its star:

Scientists are impressed with extremophiles, life forms that can survive under what seems to humans to be extremely unpleasant conditions. In which of the following environments have we not found life:

Which of the following is a good summary of what most astronomers think about UFO reports in the popular media?

According to astronomers, which of the following places in the outer parts of our solar system might be a reasonable place for life to exist?

One reason that some scientists think that there may be life under the ice-crust of Jupiter's moon Europa is that:

For the complex biochemical reactions of life (as we know it) to happen, a solvent is required. What is that solvent for life on Earth?

Chemically, the process leading to life on Earth began with lots of liquid water and

One place that astronomers think might have had life start long ago is Mars. Which of the following is not a discovery that we have made on Mars so far?

Think for a moment about an atom of the element lead (atomic number 82) inside the radio that you listen to in the morning. In which of the following places has this atom probably NOT been during the course of its existence?

If you wanted to find a type of atom in your little finger that has been in its present form (been the same element) since the beginning of the universe, which element should you look for?

The Drake Equation allows astronomers to estimate

The fastest speed at which we might communicate with another technological civilization among the stars (according to our present understanding of science) is

In a globular cluster, astronomers (someday) discover a star with the same mass as our Sun, but consisting entirely of hydrogen and helium. Is this star a good place to point our SETI antennas and search for radio signals from an advanced civilization?

If alien beings found one of the Voyager spacecraft in a million years, what would they find aboard?

Science and the Universe: a Brief Tour

Observing the Sky: the Birth of Astronomy

Orbits and Gravity

Earth, Moon, and Sky

Radiation and Spectra

Astronomical Instruments

Other Worlds: an Introduction to the Solar System

Earth As a Planet

Cratered Worlds: the Moon and Mercury

Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars

The Giant Planets

Rings, Moons, and Pluto

Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System

Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System

The Sun: a Garden-Variety Star

The Sun: a Nuclear Powerhouse

Analyzing Starlight

The Stars: a Celestial Census

Celestial Distances

Between the Stars

The Birth of Stars and the Discovery of Planets Outside the Solar System

Stars From Adolescence to Old Age

The Death of Stars

Black Holes and Curved Space-Time

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Black Holes

The Evolution and Distribution of Galaxies

The Big Bang

Filters