Question 1

Which kind of spacecraft collects its fuel during its passage?

Accepted Answer

A)  interstellar ark 
B)  matter-antimatter rocket 
C)  solar sail 
D)  interstellar ramjet 
A)  interstellar ark 
B)  matter-antimatter rocket 
C)  solar sail 
D)  interstellar ramjet D

Question 2

The energy required to accelerate a ship the mass of an ocean liner to a cruising speed of 10% of the speed of light is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  one million times the Earth's current annual energy usage 
B)  one hundred times the Earth's current annual energy usage 
C)  equal to the Earth's current annual energy usage 
D)  ten times the Earth's current annual energy usage 
A)  one million times the Earth's current annual energy usage 
B)  one hundred times the Earth's current annual energy usage 
C)  equal to the Earth's current annual energy usage 
D)  ten times the Earth's current annual energy usage B

Question 3

The ultimate speed of a solar-sail-propelled spacecraft is limited by the

Accepted Answer

A)  low energy photons that the Sun produces 
B)  gravitational force of the Sun 
C)  fact that the intensity of sunlight falls off rapidly with distance 
D)  mass of the spacecraft 
A)  low energy photons that the Sun produces 
B)  gravitational force of the Sun 
C)  fact that the intensity of sunlight falls off rapidly with distance 
D)  mass of the spacecraft C

Question 4

Particles of matter and antimatter have the

Accepted Answer

A)  same charge and mass 
B)  same charge but different mass 
C)  different charge and mass 
D)  same mass but opposite charge 
A)  same charge and mass 
B)  same charge but different mass 
C)  different charge and mass 
D)  same mass but opposite charge

Question 5

When an electron collides with a positron the two particles

Accepted Answer

A)  fuse to form a heavier particle 
B)  bounce off each other 
C)  are destroyed, producing a pair of high-energy gamma rays 
D)  are destroyed, producing another pair of particles 
A)  fuse to form a heavier particle 
B)  bounce off each other 
C)  are destroyed, producing a pair of high-energy gamma rays 
D)  are destroyed, producing another pair of particles

Question 6

Given how many times intelligent civilizations could have appeared over the universe's history, it is most likely that if other civilizations exist, they will

Accepted Answer

A)  be slightly less advanced than us 
B)  be much less advanced than us 
C)  have about the same level of technology as us 
D)  be much more advanced than us 
A)  be slightly less advanced than us 
B)  be much less advanced than us 
C)  have about the same level of technology as us 
D)  be much more advanced than us

Question 7

A wormhole is a

Accepted Answer

A)  passageway to a parallel universe through a black hole 
B)  shortcut between two distant parts of the universe through hyperspace 
C)  shortcut between two distant parts of the universe through a black hole 
D)  way of traveling faster than the speed of light 
A)  passageway to a parallel universe through a black hole 
B)  shortcut between two distant parts of the universe through hyperspace 
C)  shortcut between two distant parts of the universe through a black hole 
D)  way of traveling faster than the speed of light

Question 8

The maximum terminal velocity we could accelerate a nuclear rocket to is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  50 % of the speed of light 
B)  0.001 % of the speed of light 
C)  0.1 % of the speed of light 
D)  10 % of the speed of light 
A)  50 % of the speed of light 
B)  0.001 % of the speed of light 
C)  0.1 % of the speed of light 
D)  10 % of the speed of light

Question 9

The mass ratio of a rocket is defined to be the

Accepted Answer

A)  mass of the empty rocket without fuel divided by the mass of the payload 
B)  mass of the fully fueled rocket divided by the mass of the rocket after the fuel is burned 
C)  mass of the rocket after the fuel is burned divided by the mass of the fully fueled rocket 
D)  mass of the fuel in the rocket divided by the mass of the rocket payload 
A)  mass of the empty rocket without fuel divided by the mass of the payload 
B)  mass of the fully fueled rocket divided by the mass of the rocket after the fuel is burned 
C)  mass of the rocket after the fuel is burned divided by the mass of the fully fueled rocket 
D)  mass of the fuel in the rocket divided by the mass of the rocket payload

Question 10

What is the name of the research program at the Los Alamos Science Laboratory that started to develop a design for an interstellar ship propelled by small hydrogen-bombs?

Accepted Answer

A)  Project Blue Book 
B)  Project Orion 
C)  The Alan Parsons Project 
D)  Project Rover 
A)  Project Blue Book 
B)  Project Orion 
C)  The Alan Parsons Project 
D)  Project Rover

Question 11

The Luyten 726-8 binary system is approximately 9 light-years away. If we send a spacecraft to visit this system traveling at 90% of the speed of light, how long will a one-way trip take as measured from the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  it's impossible to tell unless we know the spacecraft's method of propulsion 
B)  more than 10 years 
C)  10 years 
D)  less than 10 years 
A)  it's impossible to tell unless we know the spacecraft's method of propulsion 
B)  more than 10 years 
C)  10 years 
D)  less than 10 years

Question 12

Nuclear fission is the process by which

Accepted Answer

A)  a number of smaller nuclei combine to form a larger nucleus with the release of energy 
B)  electrons are rearranged inside an atom, releasing energy 
C)  an electron is ejected from the nucleus of an atom, releasing energy 
D)  large nuclei break up into smaller nuclei with the release of energy 
A)  a number of smaller nuclei combine to form a larger nucleus with the release of energy 
B)  electrons are rearranged inside an atom, releasing energy 
C)  an electron is ejected from the nucleus of an atom, releasing energy 
D)  large nuclei break up into smaller nuclei with the release of energy

Question 13

What might we expect to be a possible motivation for human beings to eventually colonize other star systems?

Accepted Answer

A)  the rapid rise of the human population 
B)  depletion of natural resources 
C)  natural curiosity 
D)  all of the above might be motivators 
A)  the rapid rise of the human population 
B)  depletion of natural resources 
C)  natural curiosity 
D)  all of the above might be motivators

Question 14

Based on human history, the likelihood that we will eventually colonize other habitable planets in our galaxy is

Accepted Answer

A)  impossible to predict 
B)  high 
C)  zero 
D)  low 
A)  impossible to predict 
B)  high 
C)  zero 
D)  low

Question 15

The energy required to accelerate an interstellar spaceship depends on

Accepted Answer

A)  its mass only 
B)  its final velocity only 
C)  the type of fuel it uses 
D)  its mass and final velocity 
A)  its mass only 
B)  its final velocity only 
C)  the type of fuel it uses 
D)  its mass and final velocity

Question 16

Which of the following is not a solution to the Fermi Paradox?

Accepted Answer

A)  no one is interested or able to communicate 
B)  we are unable to detect their communications 
C)  we are not interested in communicating 
D)  no one is out there 
A)  no one is interested or able to communicate 
B)  we are unable to detect their communications 
C)  we are not interested in communicating 
D)  no one is out there

Question 17

What kind of message from Earth was carried by the Pioneer probes?

Accepted Answer

A)  a gold-coated copper record 
B)  a plaque 
C)  a DVD 
D)  a VHS tape 
A)  a gold-coated copper record 
B)  a plaque 
C)  a DVD 
D)  a VHS tape

Question 18

Von Neumann machines are hypothetical

Accepted Answer

A)  self-replicating probes sent out to explore the galaxy by an advanced civilization 
B)  devices capable of creating wormholes 
C)  devices capable of time travel 
D)  spacecraft capable of traveling faster than the speed of light 
A)  self-replicating probes sent out to explore the galaxy by an advanced civilization 
B)  devices capable of creating wormholes 
C)  devices capable of time travel 
D)  spacecraft capable of traveling faster than the speed of light

Question 19

If we imagine that 1 in 10 million stars would eventually give rise to a civilization on an orbiting planet and assuming that there are 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy, how often should a civilization randomly appear over a 5 billion year period?

Accepted Answer

A)  once every 50 million years 
B)  once every 50,000 years 
C)  once every 500,000 years 
D)  once every 5 million years 
A)  once every 50 million years 
B)  once every 50,000 years 
C)  once every 500,000 years 
D)  once every 5 million years

Question 20

Which kind of interstellar spacecraft would require the crew to be placed in suspended animation, perhaps for thousands of years?

Accepted Answer

A)  solar sail 
B)  interstellar ark 
C)  matter-antimatter rocket 
D)  nuclear rocket 
A)  solar sail 
B)  interstellar ark 
C)  matter-antimatter rocket 
D)  nuclear rocket

Which kind of spacecraft collects its fuel during its passage?

The energy required to accelerate a ship the mass of an ocean liner to a cruising speed of 10% of the speed of light is approximately

The ultimate speed of a solar-sail-propelled spacecraft is limited by the

Particles of matter and antimatter have the

When an electron collides with a positron the two particles

Given how many times intelligent civilizations could have appeared over the universe's history, it is most likely that if other civilizations exist, they will

A wormhole is a

The maximum terminal velocity we could accelerate a nuclear rocket to is approximately

The mass ratio of a rocket is defined to be the

What is the name of the research program at the Los Alamos Science Laboratory that started to develop a design for an interstellar ship propelled by small hydrogen-bombs?

The Luyten 726-8 binary system is approximately 9 light-years away. If we send a spacecraft to visit this system traveling at 90% of the speed of light, how long will a one-way trip take as measured from the Earth?

Nuclear fission is the process by which

What might we expect to be a possible motivation for human beings to eventually colonize other star systems?

Based on human history, the likelihood that we will eventually colonize other habitable planets in our galaxy is

The energy required to accelerate an interstellar spaceship depends on

Which of the following is not a solution to the Fermi Paradox?

What kind of message from Earth was carried by the Pioneer probes?

Von Neumann machines are hypothetical

If we imagine that 1 in 10 million stars would eventually give rise to a civilization on an orbiting planet and assuming that there are 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy, how often should a civilization randomly appear over a 5 billion year period?

Which kind of interstellar spacecraft would require the crew to be placed in suspended animation, perhaps for thousands of years?

The Science of Life in the Universe

The Universal Context of Life

The Habitability of Earth

The Nature of Life on Earth

The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth

Searching for Life in Our Solar System

Mars

Life on Jovian Moons

The Nature and Evolution of Habitability

Habitability Outside the Solar System

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

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Exam 13: Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

Which kind of spacecraft collects its fuel during its passage?

The energy required to accelerate a ship the mass of an ocean liner to a cruising speed of 10% of the speed of light is approximately

The ultimate speed of a solar-sail-propelled spacecraft is limited by the

Particles of matter and antimatter have the

When an electron collides with a positron the two particles

Given how many times intelligent civilizations could have appeared over the universe's history, it is most likely that if other civilizations exist, they will

A wormhole is a

The maximum terminal velocity we could accelerate a nuclear rocket to is approximately

The mass ratio of a rocket is defined to be the

What is the name of the research program at the Los Alamos Science Laboratory that started to develop a design for an interstellar ship propelled by small hydrogen-bombs?

The Luyten 726-8 binary system is approximately 9 light-years away. If we send a spacecraft to visit this system traveling at 90% of the speed of light, how long will a one-way trip take as measured from the Earth?

Nuclear fission is the process by which

What might we expect to be a possible motivation for human beings to eventually colonize other star systems?

Based on human history, the likelihood that we will eventually colonize other habitable planets in our galaxy is

The energy required to accelerate an interstellar spaceship depends on

Which of the following is not a solution to the Fermi Paradox?

What kind of message from Earth was carried by the Pioneer probes?

Von Neumann machines are hypothetical

If we imagine that 1 in 10 million stars would eventually give rise to a civilization on an orbiting planet and assuming that there are 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy, how often should a civilization randomly appear over a 5 billion year period?

Which kind of interstellar spacecraft would require the crew to be placed in suspended animation, perhaps for thousands of years?

The Science of Life in the Universe

The Universal Context of Life

The Habitability of Earth

The Nature of Life on Earth

The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth

Searching for Life in Our Solar System

Mars

Life on Jovian Moons

The Nature and Evolution of Habitability

Habitability Outside the Solar System

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Filters