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- 1. Multiple Choice
What field of astronomy does Phil Plait find the most exciting right now?
stellar nucleosynthesis
black holes
exoplanets
active galaxies
- 2. Multiple Choice
When was the first confirmed detection of an exoplanet?
1972
1982
1992
2002
- 3. Multiple Choice
Most of the detected exoplanets are giants, and likely to have very thick atmospheres like ___
Mercury or Venus
Venus or Mars
Mars or Pluto
Neptune or Jupiter
- 4. Multiple Choice
In Earth-like atmospheres, which molecules are extremely reactive, and won't last long without being replenished?
oxygen
nitrogen
carbon dioxide
argon
- 5. Multiple Choice
In Earth-like atmospheres, what is the easiest way we know to replenish oxygen?
combustion
biology
stellar nucleosynthesis
addition reactions
- 6. Multiple Choice
Which infrared space telescope is designed to look for the signature of oxygen on distant worlds?
the Spitzer Space Telescope
Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE)
the Einstein Observatory (HEAO 2)
the James Webb Space Telescope
- 7. Multiple Choice
We now think that most stars in the galaxy have planets. How many stars are in our galaxy?
under 20 million stars
about 200 million stars
about 20 billion stars
over 200 billion stars
- 8. Multiple Choice
We see traces of life on Earth going back nearly ___
4 million years
40 million years
4 billion years
40 billion years
- 9. Multiple Choice
Life existed on Earth not too long after it cooled enough to have ___
liquid water on its surface
solid water on its surface
an oxygen atmosphere
gaseous water in the atmosphere
- 10. Multiple Choice
For most of Earth's history the most advanced life was basically ___
minerals
algae
Carboniferous plants
primates
- 11. Multiple Choice
For communicating information across space, you don't need a lot of super sophisticated tech to make ___
sound waves
radio waves
an interstellar version of the Pony Express
a spaceship
- 12. Multiple Choice
SETI stands for ___
the "search for earth terraforming intelligence"
the "search for extraterrestrial intelligence"
the "seismic engineering of terrestrial intelligence"
the "space for extraterrestrial interference"
- 13. Multiple Choice
We've detected exoplanets older than our Earth. How old is our Earth?
about 4.5 million years old
about 45 million years old
about 4.5 billion years old
about 45 billion years old
- 14. Multiple Choice
The folks at SETI scan the skies at various ___
ultrasonic frequencies
infrasonic frequencies
radio wavelengths
infrared wavelengths
- 15. Multiple Choice
The SETI scientist Seth Shostak predicts that, if anyone out there is broadcasting, we'll pick up the signal in ___
the next 5 years
the next 20 years
the next 50 years
the next 200 years
- 16. Multiple Choice
We now stand on the edge of understanding some our grandest questions, because of ___
religion
philosophy
science
theology
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