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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to the author, the universe could have emerged from nothing without violating any natural laws since the energy emitted from celestial objects (positive) is balanced by what, resulting in a net zero amount of energy?
(a) Dark matter.
(b) Parallax.
(c) Quantum flux.
(d) Gravity.

2. What is the second premise of "On the Origin of Species"?
(a) There are variations within species.
(b) Living creatures create more off-spring than nature can support.
(c) Survival is based on nature versus nurture.
(d) Survival is based on the process of natural selection.

3. Kant first became interested in space travel after reading a review of what philosopher's book?
(a) Thomas Wright's.
(b) Plato's.
(c) John Harrison's.
(d) Aristotle's.

4. What is a member of a class of very luminous variable stars?
(a) Parallax.
(b) Cepheid.
(c) Micrometer.
(d) Dark matter.

5. Where was Albert Einstein born?
(a) England.
(b) Germany.
(c) Poland.
(d) France.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who worked under George Hale, director of the Mount Wilson Observatory, as described by the author in Chapter 9?

2. According to the author, the vacuum genesis argues that something came from nothing and the quantum genesis advocates the application of the random nature of ______ to the early universe.

3. What is the religious belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic God?

4. Who concluded that the process of the earth's creation was part of an infinite repeating cycle of development and destruction?

5. In the world of quantum physics, there are two categories of particles: particles with fractional spin called fermions and those of integer spin, called what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author describe the world of science in the twentieth century in Chapter 17: "The Axis of History"?

2. How does the author describe theoretical physicists in Chapter 16: "Rumors of Perfection"?

3. How have advancements in the sciences improved mankind, according to the author in Chapter 19: "Mind and Matter"?

4. What influenced Emmanuel Kant in his interest in cosmology according to the author in Chapter 8: "Deep Space"?

5. What schools of thought does the author describe regarding elliptical nebulae in Chapter 9: "Island Universes"?

6. What was theorized in a paper written by Vesto Slipher in the early 20th century, according to the author in Chapter 11: "The Expansion of the Universe"?

7. What three basic areas of study relative to the expansion of the universe does the author describe in Chapter 12: "Sermons in Stones"?

8. Who associated the red-shift of the galaxies with Einstein's relativity, according to the author in Chapter 12: "Sermons in Stones"?

9. What discoveries does the author describe regarding spiral nebulae in Chapter 9: "Island Universes"?

10. What led to the origination of spectroscopy and astrophysics, according to the author in Chapter 10: "Einstein's Sky"?

(see the answer keys)

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