Question 1

Visible radiation may be useful for transmitting

Accepted Answer

A)  signals over wide areas towards a number of nearby stars 
B)  signals to advanced civilizations that never develop radio astronomy 
C)  focused signals to individual star systems nearby 
D)  signals to civilizations in neighboring galaxies 
A)  signals over wide areas towards a number of nearby stars 
B)  signals to advanced civilizations that never develop radio astronomy 
C)  focused signals to individual star systems nearby 
D)  signals to civilizations in neighboring galaxies

Question 2

If the communication lifetime of civilizations in our galaxy is 10,000 years and our galaxy is 13 billion years old, what is the chance of us detecting another intelligent civilization now?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 in 13,000 
B)  1 in 1,300,000 
C)  1 in 1300 
D)  1 in 130,000 
A)  1 in 13,000 
B)  1 in 1,300,000 
C)  1 in 1300 
D)  1 in 130,000

Question 3

What is the minimum value of N in the Drake Equation?

Accepted Answer

A)  100 
B)  1 
C)  0 
D)  1000 
A)  100 
B)  1 
C)  0 
D)  1000

Question 4

A measure of the range of frequencies that are contained in a particular radio signal is called its

Accepted Answer

A)  bandpass 
B)  sensitivity 
C)  bandwidth 
D)  band 
A)  bandpass 
B)  sensitivity 
C)  bandwidth 
D)  band

Question 5

Intelligence may be subject to convergent evolution because it

Accepted Answer

A)  is inevitable 
B)  is a fundamental characteristic of life 
C)  has survival value 
D)  is required for survival 
A)  is inevitable 
B)  is a fundamental characteristic of life 
C)  has survival value 
D)  is required for survival

Question 6

In the novel Contact by Carl Sagan, an extremely advanced civilization has constructed a labyrinth of wormholes throughout the galaxy. A civilization capable of such a feat would most likely be classified as what kind of civilization?

Accepted Answer

A)  Type III 
B)  Type II 
C)  Type IV 
D)  Type I 
A)  Type III 
B)  Type II 
C)  Type IV 
D)  Type I

Question 7

What do we know for certain about the various factors in the Drake equations?

Accepted Answer

A)  that none of them can be equal to 1 
B)  that at least one of them must be equal to 0 
C)  that at least one of them must be equal to 1 
D)  that none of them can be equal to 0 
A)  that none of them can be equal to 1 
B)  that at least one of them must be equal to 0 
C)  that at least one of them must be equal to 1 
D)  that none of them can be equal to 0

Question 8

Which factor in the modified Drake equation may well turn out to be the primary factor in determining the current number of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Nhp, the number of habitable planets in our galaxy 
B)  fciv, fraction of life-bearing planets where intelligent civilizations have at some time arisen 
C)  fnow, fraction of civilization-bearing planets that have intelligent civilizations on them now 
D)  flife, fraction of life-bearing habitable planets 
A)  Nhp, the number of habitable planets in our galaxy 
B)  fciv, fraction of life-bearing planets where intelligent civilizations have at some time arisen 
C)  fnow, fraction of civilization-bearing planets that have intelligent civilizations on them now 
D)  flife, fraction of life-bearing habitable planets

Question 9

Sending signals at optical wavelengths might be a viable alternative to radio wavelengths

Accepted Answer

A)  only between civilizations around solar-type stars whose eyes have evolved to see such radiation 
B)  over relatively short distances where absorption by interstellar matter would not be a problem 
C)  as long as the light transmitted is a different color than the light given off by the parent star 
D)  over all distances as long as the intensity of the signal is strong enough 
A)  only between civilizations around solar-type stars whose eyes have evolved to see such radiation 
B)  over relatively short distances where absorption by interstellar matter would not be a problem 
C)  as long as the light transmitted is a different color than the light given off by the parent star 
D)  over all distances as long as the intensity of the signal is strong enough

Question 10

The ratio of an organism's brain weight to body weight is thought to be roughly proportional to its

Accepted Answer

A)  sex drive 
B)  height 
C)  rate of movement 
D)  intelligence 
A)  sex drive 
B)  height 
C)  rate of movement 
D)  intelligence

Question 11

A Lagrange point in the Earth-Moon system is a position

Accepted Answer

A)  directly between the Earth and Moon 
B)  on the surface of the Moon that points directly away from the Earth 
C)  on the Earth's surface that the Moon's gravity is concentrated 
D)  in space where the effects of the Earth's and Moon's gravity cancel each other out 
A)  directly between the Earth and Moon 
B)  on the surface of the Moon that points directly away from the Earth 
C)  on the Earth's surface that the Moon's gravity is concentrated 
D)  in space where the effects of the Earth's and Moon's gravity cancel each other out

Question 12

Which Lagrange points in the Earth-Moon system are stable?

Accepted Answer

A)  L1 only 
B)  L4 and L5 
C)  L2 and L3 
D)  all are stable 
A)  L1 only 
B)  L4 and L5 
C)  L2 and L3 
D)  all are stable

Question 13

On the basis of the scientific method, which of the following would be considered conclusive evidence that we are being visited by aliens?

Accepted Answer

A)  an eyewitness account 
B)  a photograph 
C)  claims of alien abduction made under hypnosis 
D)  none of the above would be considered to be conclusive 
A)  an eyewitness account 
B)  a photograph 
C)  claims of alien abduction made under hypnosis 
D)  none of the above would be considered to be conclusive

Question 14

The fundamental principles of radio SETI were first discussed in a seminal 1959 paper by

Accepted Answer

A)  Marconi and Tesla 
B)  Drake 
C)  Cocconi and Morrison 
D)  Sagan and Oliver 
A)  Marconi and Tesla 
B)  Drake 
C)  Cocconi and Morrison 
D)  Sagan and Oliver

Question 15

The Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence states that the first thing to do after the detection of a possible signal is to

Accepted Answer

A)  send a reply 
B)  announce the discovery to the public 
C)  confirm that it is genuine 
D)  classify it top secret 
A)  send a reply 
B)  announce the discovery to the public 
C)  confirm that it is genuine 
D)  classify it top secret

Question 16

Approximately how soon might we expect an immediate response from a civilization that received the signal we sent to the globular cluster M13 (25,000 light-years away) in 1974?

Accepted Answer

A)  100,000 years 
B)  25,000 years 
C)  12,500 years 
D)  50,000 years 
A)  100,000 years 
B)  25,000 years 
C)  12,500 years 
D)  50,000 years

Question 17

In 1974 we transmitted a message toward the globular cluster M13 which is 21,000 ly away. What is one reason that this object was probably not ideal for sending a message to?

Accepted Answer

A)  it is so far away that we will probably have stopped communicating before we receive and return signal 
B)  globular clusters contain young, high mass stars with insufficiently long main sequence lifetimes and hence are unsuitable places for life 
C)  the message will be absorbed by interstellar dust before it reaches the cluster 
D)  globular clusters contain, old, low mass stars with fewer heavy elements and hence are not ideal places for life 
A)  it is so far away that we will probably have stopped communicating before we receive and return signal 
B)  globular clusters contain young, high mass stars with insufficiently long main sequence lifetimes and hence are unsuitable places for life 
C)  the message will be absorbed by interstellar dust before it reaches the cluster 
D)  globular clusters contain, old, low mass stars with fewer heavy elements and hence are not ideal places for life

Question 18

The fact that Encephalization Quotients (EQs) of organisms have generally increased with time provides evidence for

Accepted Answer

A)  cross-breeding between organisms 
B)  artificial selection 
C)  genetic mutations 
D)  convergent evolution toward increasing intelligence 
A)  cross-breeding between organisms 
B)  artificial selection 
C)  genetic mutations 
D)  convergent evolution toward increasing intelligence

Question 19

The organisms with the next highest Encephalization Quotient (EQ) ratios after humans are

Accepted Answer

A)  dolphins 
B)  humans 
C)  whales 
D)  chimps 
A)  dolphins 
B)  humans 
C)  whales 
D)  chimps

Question 20

In 1924, scientists and the U.S. Army listened for extraterrestrial broadcasts from

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars 
B)  Venus 
C)  the Moon 
D)  Mercury 
A)  Mars 
B)  Venus 
C)  the Moon 
D)  Mercury

Visible radiation may be useful for transmitting

If the communication lifetime of civilizations in our galaxy is 10,000 years and our galaxy is 13 billion years old, what is the chance of us detecting another intelligent civilization now?

What is the minimum value of N in the Drake Equation?

A measure of the range of frequencies that are contained in a particular radio signal is called its

Intelligence may be subject to convergent evolution because it

In the novel Contact by Carl Sagan, an extremely advanced civilization has constructed a labyrinth of wormholes throughout the galaxy. A civilization capable of such a feat would most likely be classified as what kind of civilization?

What do we know for certain about the various factors in the Drake equations?

Which factor in the modified Drake equation may well turn out to be the primary factor in determining the current number of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy?

Sending signals at optical wavelengths might be a viable alternative to radio wavelengths

The ratio of an organism's brain weight to body weight is thought to be roughly proportional to its

A Lagrange point in the Earth-Moon system is a position

Which Lagrange points in the Earth-Moon system are stable?

On the basis of the scientific method, which of the following would be considered conclusive evidence that we are being visited by aliens?

The fundamental principles of radio SETI were first discussed in a seminal 1959 paper by

The Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence states that the first thing to do after the detection of a possible signal is to

Approximately how soon might we expect an immediate response from a civilization that received the signal we sent to the globular cluster M13 (25,000 light-years away) in 1974?

In 1974 we transmitted a message toward the globular cluster M13 which is 21,000 ly away. What is one reason that this object was probably not ideal for sending a message to?

The fact that Encephalization Quotients (EQs) of organisms have generally increased with time provides evidence for

The organisms with the next highest Encephalization Quotient (EQ) ratios after humans are

In 1924, scientists and the U.S. Army listened for extraterrestrial broadcasts from

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

Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

Filters

Exam 12: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Visible radiation may be useful for transmitting

If the communication lifetime of civilizations in our galaxy is 10,000 years and our galaxy is 13 billion years old, what is the chance of us detecting another intelligent civilization now?

What is the minimum value of N in the Drake Equation?

A measure of the range of frequencies that are contained in a particular radio signal is called its

Intelligence may be subject to convergent evolution because it

In the novel Contact by Carl Sagan, an extremely advanced civilization has constructed a labyrinth of wormholes throughout the galaxy. A civilization capable of such a feat would most likely be classified as what kind of civilization?

What do we know for certain about the various factors in the Drake equations?

Which factor in the modified Drake equation may well turn out to be the primary factor in determining the current number of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy?

Sending signals at optical wavelengths might be a viable alternative to radio wavelengths

The ratio of an organism's brain weight to body weight is thought to be roughly proportional to its

A Lagrange point in the Earth-Moon system is a position

Which Lagrange points in the Earth-Moon system are stable?

On the basis of the scientific method, which of the following would be considered conclusive evidence that we are being visited by aliens?

The fundamental principles of radio SETI were first discussed in a seminal 1959 paper by

The Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence states that the first thing to do after the detection of a possible signal is to

Approximately how soon might we expect an immediate response from a civilization that received the signal we sent to the globular cluster M13 (25,000 light-years away) in 1974?

In 1974 we transmitted a message toward the globular cluster M13 which is 21,000 ly away. What is one reason that this object was probably not ideal for sending a message to?

The fact that Encephalization Quotients (EQs) of organisms have generally increased with time provides evidence for

The organisms with the next highest Encephalization Quotient (EQ) ratios after humans are

In 1924, scientists and the U.S. Army listened for extraterrestrial broadcasts from

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

Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

Filters