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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. Who later showed that general relativity implied the Big Bang?

2. What have serious effects on a quantum theory of gravity?

3. What is a p = 2 brane?

4. If there is a low amount of matter in the universe what will happen?

5. What was discovered in the 1970s that revealed a natural physical mechanism?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the general relativity theory break down?

2. What does it mean for stars to be red-shifted or blue-shifted?

3. What is vacuum energy?

4. Why do ground state fluctuations have serious effects on the quantum theory of gravity?

5. Describe the contradiction of relativity to Newton's law of gravity.

6. What changed about the way we view zero point fluctuations in the 1940s?

7. What is considered to be expanding in our universe, and why does Hawking think this is beneficial?

8. What is Hawking's view about mathematical models?

9. What does the E = mc2 equation show?

10. What is hard to reconcile with Dirac's discoveries in quantum mechanics?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the interpretation of General Relativity according to Penrose and Hawking and how this differed from Lifshitz and Khalatnikov. Cite two examples from Chapter Two that expound on Penrose and Hawking's dissimilar interpretation.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the ether theory. Explain why this theory fell apart and what Einstein's role was in its deconstruction. Be sure to include at least two reasons the ether theory became redundant and unnecessary.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that answers the following questions: What is M-theory? What is its relationship to various string models? What does Hawking believe about M-theory? The essay must include at least two supporting evidences from the book, and one example from an outside text.

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This section contains 804 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample