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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. Earth will most likely lose contact with the Voyager probes when what happens?

2. Sagan says that which of the following is the most immediately obvious thing about the Earth?

3. Kuiper discovered that Titan has what chemical vital to the development of life?

4. Sagan believes that Titan hosts oceans made of what compound?

5. The Anthropic Principle is divided into two theories that are termed what?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What aspects of science make it unappealing to some?

3. Why does Saga say he is optimistic about the "human prospect"?

4. What does the Strong Anthropomorphic principle suggest?

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

6. What dangers did the Voyager I spacecraft face in taking a distant picture of Earth?

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

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

9. What was Sagan's involvement in the passage of Mars by the Viking probe?

10. Describe the planet Neptune.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The heliocentric theory was developed by Copernicus, Galileo, and others, and uprooted the dogmatically endorsed geocentric theory, forever changing the nature of scientific thought in the West.

1) Describe heliocentric theory and the scientists who proposed and developed it.

2) Explain some of the abnormalities and observations that lent support to the heliocentric theory.

3) Discuss the reasons that Sagan believes heliocentric theory was opposed by the church.

4) Describe the impact of the victory of the heliocentric theory over the geocentric model on scientific thinking in the West.

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

Saturn is known for its beautiful ring system, although at the time this book was written, it was not known how or why planets formed rings.

1) Describe the planet Saturn, its ring system, and its moons.

2) Summarize some of the important information that the Voyager probes gleaned from their passage of the planet.

3) Discuss how planetary tidal forces are believed to contribute to the formation of ring systems.

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