Question 1

Why was the impact 65 million years ago a chance happening that benefited the evolution of humans?

Accepted Answer

A)  It deposited a significant amount of nitrogen into Earth's atmosphere. 
B)  It led to an increase in global UV radiation, which killed off most of the forests and jungles. 
C)  Mammals got an evolutionary boost. 
D)  Plant life began to decline. 
A)  It deposited a significant amount of nitrogen into Earth's atmosphere. 
B)  It led to an increase in global UV radiation, which killed off most of the forests and jungles. 
C)  Mammals got an evolutionary boost. 
D)  Plant life began to decline.

Question 2

In 1952,chemists Harold Urey and Stanley Miller mixed ammonia,methane,and hydrogen in a closed container,zapped it with electrical sparks,and found that:

Accepted Answer

A)  they could induce cold fusion to occur. 
B)  they could not induce any amino acids to form. 
C)  single-celled microorganisms had been spontaneously created. 
D)  they had created about half the amino acids that form proteins. 
A)  they could induce cold fusion to occur. 
B)  they could not induce any amino acids to form. 
C)  single-celled microorganisms had been spontaneously created. 
D)  they had created about half the amino acids that form proteins.

Question 3

Which of the following appeared most recently in Earth's evolutionary timeline?

Accepted Answer

A)  dinosaurs 
B)  forests 
C)  humans 
D)  insects 
A)  dinosaurs 
B)  forests 
C)  humans 
D)  insects

Question 4

If we model the history of Earth as a single day,at what time would the first primitive forms of microorganisms appear?

Accepted Answer

A)  5:00 A.M. 
B)  9:00 A.M. 
C)  12:00 noon 
D)  3:00 P.M. 
A)  5:00 A.M. 
B)  9:00 A.M. 
C)  12:00 noon 
D)  3:00 P.M.

Question 5

All of the following events will likely occur in the future.Which would require that humanity leaves the Solar System to survive?

Accepted Answer

A)  asteroid or cometary impact on Earth 
B)  continuation of global climate change on Earth 
C)  evolution of the Sun into a red giant 
D)  overuse of natural resources on Earth 
A)  asteroid or cometary impact on Earth 
B)  continuation of global climate change on Earth 
C)  evolution of the Sun into a red giant 
D)  overuse of natural resources on Earth

Question 6

If you wanted to find intelligent life in the universe,what spectral types of stars would you study and why?

Accepted Answer

It took approximately 4.5 bill

Question 7

Describe the difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Accepted Answer

Prokaryotes do not h

Question 8

If the most pessimistic assumptions in the Drake equation were true,we would:

Accepted Answer

A)  have to wait for approximately 60 million years to get a message back from the nearest intelligent life. 
B)  have to wait for approximately 400 years to get a message back from the nearest intelligent life. 
C)  be the only intelligent life in the universe. 
D)  need to concentrate on the Andromeda Galaxy when searching for intelligent life. 
A)  have to wait for approximately 60 million years to get a message back from the nearest intelligent life. 
B)  have to wait for approximately 400 years to get a message back from the nearest intelligent life. 
C)  be the only intelligent life in the universe. 
D)  need to concentrate on the Andromeda Galaxy when searching for intelligent life.

Question 9

Why is a cold star not a good candidate to find life?

Accepted Answer

A)  The star is too cold. 
B)  The habitable zone is very narrow. 
C)  Its lifetime is too long for life to evolve. 
D)  The elements that are around cold stars do not lead to evolution. 
A)  The star is too cold. 
B)  The habitable zone is very narrow. 
C)  Its lifetime is too long for life to evolve. 
D)  The elements that are around cold stars do not lead to evolution.

Question 10

Why is a very hot star not a good candidate to find life?

Accepted Answer

A)  The star is too hot. 
B)  Hot stars are only found in the disk of the galaxy, which is not conducive to life. 
C)  Its lifetime is too short for life to evolve. 
D)  The elements that are around hot stars do not lead to evolution. 
A)  The star is too hot. 
B)  Hot stars are only found in the disk of the galaxy, which is not conducive to life. 
C)  Its lifetime is too short for life to evolve. 
D)  The elements that are around hot stars do not lead to evolution.

Question 11

Which of the following elements is so similar to carbon it its structure that scientists think it may form a basis for life elsewhere.

Accepted Answer

A)  helium 
B)  nitrogen 
C)  oxygen 
D)  silicon 
A)  helium 
B)  nitrogen 
C)  oxygen 
D)  silicon

Question 12

What does it mean if a population demonstrates exponential growth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Population decreases to zero. 
B)  Population increases by a fixed amount in each given time interval. 
C)  Population increases by a percentage in each given time interval. 
D)  There is no such thing as exponential growth. 
A)  Population decreases to zero. 
B)  Population increases by a fixed amount in each given time interval. 
C)  Population increases by a percentage in each given time interval. 
D)  There is no such thing as exponential growth.

Question 13

Life in the universe could form:

Accepted Answer

A)  after the Big Bang. 
B)  before the Big Bang. 
C)  during the Big Bang. 
D)  We have no way of predicting. 
A)  after the Big Bang. 
B)  before the Big Bang. 
C)  during the Big Bang. 
D)  We have no way of predicting.

Question 14

Humans belong to which branch of the phylogenetic tree of life?

Accepted Answer

A)  Archaea 
B)  bacteria 
C)  Eukarya 
D)  fungi 
A)  Archaea 
B)  bacteria 
C)  Eukarya 
D)  fungi

Question 15

A value of N = 0.1 for the Drake equation signifies that:

Accepted Answer

A)  1 of every 10 solar systems in our galaxy harbors intelligent life. 
B)  1 of every 10 solar systems in our galaxy harbors life of some kind. 
C)  1 of every 10 galaxies in our universe harbors intelligent life. 
D)  1 of every 10 galaxies in our universe harbors life of some kind. 
A)  1 of every 10 solar systems in our galaxy harbors intelligent life. 
B)  1 of every 10 solar systems in our galaxy harbors life of some kind. 
C)  1 of every 10 galaxies in our universe harbors intelligent life. 
D)  1 of every 10 galaxies in our universe harbors life of some kind.

Question 16

The early Earth suffered a long period of bombardment.With respect to this time period,when did life arise and evolve?

Accepted Answer

A)  after bombardment 
B)  before bombardment 
C)  during bombardment 
D)  We have no way of predicting. 
A)  after bombardment 
B)  before bombardment 
C)  during bombardment 
D)  We have no way of predicting.

Question 17

In 1974,astronomers sent a message toward globular cluster M13.If life exists there,and it returns our signal,we won't receive it for at least another 48,000 years.Why not?

Accepted Answer

A)  It will take that long for the space probe carrying our signal to reach the life forms there. 
B)  Based on the age of the stars in M13, we anticipate it would take that long for a civilization to evolve enough to interpret and respond to our signal. 
C)  M13 is far enough away that even light takes a very long time to reach it. 
D)  It will take that long before our Solar System and M13 are properly aligned again. 
A)  It will take that long for the space probe carrying our signal to reach the life forms there. 
B)  Based on the age of the stars in M13, we anticipate it would take that long for a civilization to evolve enough to interpret and respond to our signal. 
C)  M13 is far enough away that even light takes a very long time to reach it. 
D)  It will take that long before our Solar System and M13 are properly aligned again.

Question 18

Which one of the following is NOT one of the six chemical elements commonly found in living organisms?

Accepted Answer

A)  helium 
B)  hydrogen 
C)  phosphorus 
D)  nitrogen 
A)  helium 
B)  hydrogen 
C)  phosphorus 
D)  nitrogen

Question 19

Calculate the maximum likelihood that any technically advanced civilization that arose still exists in our galaxy today.

Accepted Answer

The maximum value of L is simply the lif

Question 20

The Drake equation is used to predict the number of:

Accepted Answer

A)  civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
B)  Earth-like planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
C)  planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
D)  planets with life in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
A)  civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
B)  Earth-like planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
C)  planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
D)  planets with life in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Why was the impact 65 million years ago a chance happening that benefited the evolution of humans?

In 1952,chemists Harold Urey and Stanley Miller mixed ammonia,methane,and hydrogen in a closed container,zapped it with electrical sparks,and found that:

Which of the following appeared most recently in Earth's evolutionary timeline?

If we model the history of Earth as a single day,at what time would the first primitive forms of microorganisms appear?

All of the following events will likely occur in the future.Which would require that humanity leaves the Solar System to survive?

If you wanted to find intelligent life in the universe,what spectral types of stars would you study and why?

Describe the difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

If the most pessimistic assumptions in the Drake equation were true,we would:

Why is a cold star not a good candidate to find life?

Why is a very hot star not a good candidate to find life?

Which of the following elements is so similar to carbon it its structure that scientists think it may form a basis for life elsewhere.

What does it mean if a population demonstrates exponential growth?

Life in the universe could form:

Humans belong to which branch of the phylogenetic tree of life?

A value of N = 0.1 for the Drake equation signifies that:

The early Earth suffered a long period of bombardment.With respect to this time period,when did life arise and evolve?

In 1974,astronomers sent a message toward globular cluster M13.If life exists there,and it returns our signal,we won't receive it for at least another 48,000 years.Why not?

Which one of the following is NOT one of the six chemical elements commonly found in living organisms?

Calculate the maximum likelihood that any technically advanced civilization that arose still exists in our galaxy today.

The Drake equation is used to predict the number of:

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: the Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Measuring Galaxies

Our Galaxy: the Milky Way

The Evolution of the Universe

Formation of Structure

Filters

Exam 18: Life in the Universe

Why was the impact 65 million years ago a chance happening that benefited the evolution of humans?

In 1952,chemists Harold Urey and Stanley Miller mixed ammonia,methane,and hydrogen in a closed container,zapped it with electrical sparks,and found that:

Which of the following appeared most recently in Earth's evolutionary timeline?

If we model the history of Earth as a single day,at what time would the first primitive forms of microorganisms appear?

All of the following events will likely occur in the future.Which would require that humanity leaves the Solar System to survive?

If you wanted to find intelligent life in the universe,what spectral types of stars would you study and why?

Describe the difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

If the most pessimistic assumptions in the Drake equation were true,we would:

Why is a cold star not a good candidate to find life?

Why is a very hot star not a good candidate to find life?

Which of the following elements is so similar to carbon it its structure that scientists think it may form a basis for life elsewhere.

What does it mean if a population demonstrates exponential growth?

Life in the universe could form:

Humans belong to which branch of the phylogenetic tree of life?

A value of N = 0.1 for the Drake equation signifies that:

The early Earth suffered a long period of bombardment.With respect to this time period,when did life arise and evolve?

In 1974,astronomers sent a message toward globular cluster M13.If life exists there,and it returns our signal,we won't receive it for at least another 48,000 years.Why not?

Which one of the following is NOT one of the six chemical elements commonly found in living organisms?

Calculate the maximum likelihood that any technically advanced civilization that arose still exists in our galaxy today.

The Drake equation is used to predict the number of:

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: the Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Measuring Galaxies

Our Galaxy: the Milky Way

The Evolution of the Universe

Formation of Structure

Filters