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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 suggest that cavemen were usually looking for when they wandered?

2. How likely does Sagan think it is that the records on Voyager will eventually be found?

3. What does Sagan claim is the key element of humanity's future?

4. Sagan suggests that the image of the "pale blue dot" teaches the need for what?

5. How many planets were known to ancient people?

Short Essay Questions

1. What message do the Voyager craft carry with them from Earth?

2. What planets had been explored by human beings, at the time of the writing of this book?

3. How has the attitude of the Catholic church towards Galileo changed over time?

4. What are the "great demotions" that Sagan refers to?

5. What contributed to the formation of the first microbes on Earth?

6. Why is it difficult to detect intelligent life on Earth?

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

8. Briefly describe the progress made to undermine the geocentric theory.

9. What would be the first things an alien visitor to Earth would notice about the planet?

10. What does Sagan think about the failure of the Voyager probes to find life in the solar system?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Much of Sagan's discussion in this book centers on the idea that human beings are wanderers by nature. He sees this aspect of the human character as obvious and critical.

1) Explain Sagan's conception of how and why early humans were wanderers.

2) Discuss the ways that Sagan believes human beings cope with the desire to wander in the setting of increasingly sedentary civilizations.

3) Discuss some of the endeavors in space exploration described in the book in terms of the human desire to wander and explore.

4) Explain Sagan's opinion about how humans will become nomadic wanderers again in the future.

Essay Topic 3

Each of the Voyager craft were fitted with golden phonograph records containing carefully selected information to be sent along with the probes into deep space.

1) Discuss the purpose of the Voyager records.

2) Explain the design of the Voyager records, why they are expected to endure without losing data, and how an alien intelligence would be expected to decode them.

3) Discuss the information contained on the records and why it was selected.

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