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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Sagan say that philosophy and religion should provide?

2. Which of the following does Sagan NOT cite as evidence for the age of the universe?

3. What is one trait of human beings that Sagan cites as being responsible for our belief in our importance in the universe?

4. What scientist is well-known for writing about the differences between species of animals?

5. What does Neptune posses at its core that Uranus apparently lacks?

Short Essay Questions

1. What questions does Sagan say he intends to address in this book?

2. What does Sagan believe about the intelligence of the Voyager spacecraft.

3. How does Saga claim that human beings expressed their desire to wander as civilization grew?

4. What is the problem of perspective in estimating the importance of human beings?

5. Why does Sagan believe that the image of the "pale blue dot" undermined the "imagined self-importance" of humanity?

6. What does the Strong Anthropomorphic principle suggest?

7. What are the distinguishing characteristics of the planet Uranus?

8. What does the image of the "pale blue dot" suggest to Sagan?

9. What advantage make it more likely that the Voyager records will eventually be found?

10. What "malevolent" theology does Sagan describe in Chapter 3, "The Great Demotions"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Uranus was the first new planet discovered, aside from the five known to ancient cultures.

1) Discus the discovery of Uranus and what made this discovery unusual and unique.

2) Describe the planet Uranus, including a discussion of its unique inclination and theories to explain this feature.

3) Discuss Sagan's impression of the planet and the likelihood that it or its moons could harbor life.

Essay Topic 2

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and the most Earth-like of all of the moons in the solar system, making it a good candidate for finding extraterrestrial life.

1) Describe the characteristics of the moon Titan, including a discussion of its atmosphere and hydrocarbon lakes.

2) Assess the specific characteristics of the moon that make it suitable for life.

3) Discuss Sagan's personal involvement in the study of Titan, its importance to him, and why he believes the moon warrants further study.

Essay Topic 3

Sagan suggests that the colonization of distant worlds is both feasible and critical to humanity.

1) Explain how does Sagan envisions colonization of distant worlds occurring. What would be the motive for such efforts?

2) Discuss some of the targets that Sagan suggests for colonization, including non-planets.

3) Describe why Sagan believes that colonization is critical to securing the safety of the human race.

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