Chapter 8 Flashcards
The first landers on the surface of Mars found the Martian soil to be sterile.
true
According to the Kardashev Scale, what “type” of civilization does humanity represent
Less than Type 1
If the terraforming of Mars was successful, its new thicker atmosphere would remain permanently allowing generations of new societies to survive on the red planet.
false
Which of the following would be considered life
cats
bacteria
mushrooms
grass
The Drake Equation is a tool for estimating
the number of planets in the Milky Way that contain civilizations intelligent enough to communicate through space.
Astronomers exploring Kepler Space Telescope data encountered a very unusual light curve, which some speculated may be caused by a partially-completed ________________ created by an advanced civilization.
Dyson Sphere
One example of a “Great Filter” that humanity has (so far) managed to pass through is
the development of nuclear weapons
The first human artifact to leave the solar system was
The Pioneer 10 Plaque
extremophiles
Living creatures that thrive in environments thought to be deadly to any lifeform
Using the Drake Equation is complete guesswork. There is no scientific basis for estimating any of the variables in the equation
false
A scientist hoping to find active life on Mars can only reasonably hope to find it
in water that exists under the Martian surface
If you are attempting to communicate with intelligent civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy, then the _________ part of the EM spectrum is the best to use.
radio
We have not yet seen strong scientific evidence for even the simplest life anywhere in the universe except the Earth.
true
An advocate for terraforming Mars suggests that just ________________ would be a powerful symbol of humanity’s potential for expansion
having a single seed grow into a plant on Mars
Astronomers conjecture that advanced alien civilizations could rapidly spread through the galaxy through the use of
self-replicating machines
Sufficient warming of Mars could be achieved by point a mirror the size of ____________ at the Martian south pole.
Texas
One of the most promising pieces of evidence supporting ancient life on Mars came from
a Martian meteorite found on Earth
According to National Geographic, the process of terraforming Mars would take ______ years.
1,000
Which of the following is NOT a variable in the Drake Equation
Number of radio antennas per planet
Since their is no ozone layer on Mars
Sun’s ultraviolet light reaches the surface and destroys any exposed organic molecules
terraforming
making another planet Earth like
Matteia
cyanobacteria, dissolve and bore through rock, fixing nitrogen and liberating carbon dioxide
astrobiology
biology that studies life on Earth and in space
SETI
Search for Extraterrestrial Life, specific organization and broader movement
Pioneer 10
1972, launched toward Jupiter, first aircraft to leave the solar system
Voyager
1977, sent music and images in a spacecraft
optical SETI
look for single short-lived burst of optical light from our neighbors
fermi paradox
why haven’t we had from other civilizations and why haven’t we seen them here on Earth
when did life arise on Earth
3.5-3.85 billion years ago
how did life arise on Earth
evolved from a common ancestor
what are necessities for life
source of nutrients, source of energy, and liquid water
could there be life on Mars
life may survive in pockets of liquid water underground
could there be life on Europa/Jovian moons
Europa has subsurface ocean of liquid water and undersea volcanoes on ocean floor, Ganymede and Calisto might have oceans as well, Titan may have other liquids on its surface though too cold for liquid water
are habitable planets likely
billions of stars have at least moderate size habitable zones
are earth like planets rare or common
idk
how many civilizations are out there
Drake equation gives us a way to organize our thinking about the question
how does SETI work
detect signals coming from civilizations
how difficult is interstellar travel
well beyond tech capabilities
where are the aliens
no evidence of other civilizations
