Deck 12: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Question 1

Which of the following factors in the simplified Drake equation is best known?

A) Nhp, the number of habitable planets in our galaxy
B) fcᵢᵥ, fraction of life-bearing planets where intelligent civilizations have arisen at any time
C) fnₒw, fraction of civilization-bearing planets that have intelligent civilizations on them now
D) flᵢfₑ, fraction of life-bearing habitable planets

Answer 1

Nhp, the number of habitable planets in our galaxy

Question 2

It is unlikely that we will be able to detect the signals from civilizations in other galaxies because

A) signals from other galaxies will be severely weakened by distance, making them far harder for us to detect
B) other galaxies are unlikely to harbor intelligent civilizations
C) signals from civilizations on other galaxies will not reach us before we give up listening
D) they will most likely transmit at wavelengths that will be absorbed by intergalactic gas

Answer 2

signals from other galaxies will be severely weakened by distance, making them far harder for us to detect

Question 3

Given that there are several hundred billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy and preliminary data from exoplanet studies suggest that as many as one in five star systems may have one or more habitable planets, then a reasonable estimate for the number of habitable planets could be about

A) 100 billion or more
B) 1 billion or more
C) 100 million or more
D) 10 million or more

Answer 3

100 billion or more

Question 4

The Drake equation allows us to estimate the number of

A) intelligent civilizations that have existed in our galaxy during its entire lifetime
B) habitable planets on which life has arisen
C) intelligent civilizations capable of traveling to the Earth
D) intelligent civilizations capable of communicating in our galaxy now

Question 5

The rare-Earth hypothesis would predict that the factor flᵢfₑ, in the Drake equation should be close to

A) 0
B) 0.25
C) 1
D) 0.5

Question 6

Suppose that there are 10 billion (10,000,000,000,000) habitable planets in our galaxy, that 1 in 5 habitable planets has life, that 1 in 1000 planets with life has at some point had an intelligent civilization, and that 1 in 1000 civilizations that have ever existed is in existence now. How many civilizations would exist at present?

A) 200,000
B) 2,000,000
C) 20,000
D) 20,000,000

Question 7

Which of the following factors in the simplified Drake equation is least well known?

A) Nhp, the number of habitable planets in our galaxy
B) fcᵢᵥ, fraction of life-bearing planets where intelligent civilizations have arisen at any time
C) fnₒw, fraction of civilization-bearing planets that have intelligent civilizations on them now
D) flᵢfₑ, fraction of life-bearing habitable planets

Question 8

The factor fnₒw, in the Drake equation depends on

A) whether a civilization ever develops intelligence
B) whether a planet has any kind of life on its surface right now
C) how technologically advanced civilizations become
D) how long civilizations survive once they have arisen

Question 9

How is intelligence defined in the Drake Equation?

A) a civilization that has developed language
B) a civilization willing and able to communicate over interstellar distances
C) a civilization that communicates using telepathy
D) a civilization capable of spaceflight

Question 10

Which of the following cases in the Drake equation would be the minimum necessary condition for us to be the only intelligent civilization currently in our galaxy?

A) any two of the factors to be zero
B) any three of the factors to be zero
C) all of the factors to be zero
D) any one of the factors to be zero

Question 11

If the communication lifetime of civilizations in our galaxy is 10,000 years and our galaxy is 13 billion years old, what is the chance of us detecting another intelligent civilization now?

A) 1 in 13,000
B) 1 in 1,300,000
C) 1 in 1300
D) 1 in 130,000

Question 12

Given that our galaxy has a volume of approximately 8 10¹² ly³, what is the average distance between civilizations if there are currently 1 million intelligent civilizations in our galaxy?

A) 1,500 ly
B) 200 ly
C) 320 ly
D) 2,800 ly

Question 13

Given that our galaxy has a volume of approximately 8 10¹² ly³, what would be the average minimum amount of time to exchange messages between civilizations if there are currently 125,000 intelligent civilizations in our galaxy?

A) 800 years
B) 1,200 years
C) 200 years
D) 400 years

Question 14

In principle, the Drake equation should enable us to calculate the exact number of intelligent civilizations capable of interstellar communication in our galaxy right now. However, currently this is not feasible because

A) we do not have exact numbers for any of the factors in the equation
B) it is impossible for us to ever know the values of any of the factors
C) we have exact numbers for the first three factors, but not the last factor
D) we have an exact number for the first factor, but not for any of the other factors

Question 15

Suppose there are a million habitable planets in our galaxy, that one in ten are habitable, that one in a thousand planets with life had at some point had an intelligent civilization, and that one in a hundred civilizations that has ever existed is in existence now. Given this, how many civilizations are in existence now?

A) 10
B) 1
C) 1000
D) 100

Question 16

In the simplified Drake equation, the total number of life-bearing planets in our galaxy is given by

A) NHP
B) flᵢfₑ
C) NHP × flᵢfₑ
D) NHP / flᵢfₑ

Question 17

In the simplified Drake equation, a value of flᵢfₑ = 1 would imply that

A) there is one other habitable planet in the galaxy
B) all habitable planets in the galaxy have life
C) there is one other habitable planet in the galaxy with life on it now
D) all habitable planets in the galaxy have life on them now

Question 18

Which term in the simplified Drake equations depends on sociological factors?

A) NHP
B) flᵢfₑ
C) fcᵢᵥ
D) fnₒw

Question 19

Given that life on Earth appears to have arisen quite easily and rapidly suggests that the factor flᵢfₑ, in the Drake equation could be close to

A) 1
B) 0.25
C) 0
D) 0.5

Question 20

If the communication lifetime of civilizations in our galaxy is 100 million years and our galaxy is 13 billion years old, what is the chance of us detecting another intelligent civilization now?

A) 1 in 1,300,000
B) 1 in 13
C) 1 in 1300
D) 1 in 130

Question 21

Which type of electromagnetic radiation is able to carry the most information?

A) gamma rays
B) microwaves
C) all types have equal ability
D) radio waves

Question 22

Which scientist built a radio transmitting tower at the turn of the 20ᵗʰ century and claimed that he was receiving interplanetary communications with it?

A) Guglielmo Marconi
B) Thomas Edison
C) Nikola Tesla
D) Grote Reber

Question 23

Which type of signal could carry the largest amount of information?

A) low intensity
B) high intensity
C) large bandwidth
D) small bandwidth

Question 24

The adoption of very similar streamlined body shapes by both sharks and dolphins provides evidence for

A) cross-breeding
B) convergent evolution
C) genetic mutations
D) life originating in the oceans

Question 25

The main problem with early attempts to listen for radio signals from space was

A) that they were conducted at relatively low frequencies which have problems penetrating the Earth's upper atmosphere
B) building receivers sensitive enough to detect extraterrestrial signals
C) that they were conducted at relatively high frequencies which have problems penetrating the Earth's lower atmosphere
D) interference by radio waves from the Sun

Question 26

An organism with an Encephalization Quotient (EQ) of 1 is expected to be of

A) above-average intelligence
B) average intelligence
C) the lowest possible intelligence
D) below-average intelligence

Question 27

The organisms with the highest Encephalization Quotient (EQ) ratios are

A) whales
B) dolphins
C) chimps
D) humans

Question 28

The fact that Encephalization Quotients (EQs) of organisms have generally increased with time provides evidence for

A) cross-breeding between organisms
B) artificial selection
C) genetic mutations
D) convergent evolution toward intelligence

Question 29

An organism with an Encephalization Quotient (EQ) of 0.1 is expected to be of

A) the lowest possible intelligence
B) above-average intelligence
C) average intelligence
D) below-average intelligence

Question 30

The ratio of an animal's brain weight to body weight is thought to be roughly proportional to its

A) sex drive
B) height
C) rate of movement
D) intelligence

Question 31

An organism with an Encephalization Quotient (EQ) of 4 is expected to be of

A) above-average intelligence
B) average intelligence
C) the lowest possible intelligence
D) below-average intelligence

Question 32

The organisms with the next highest Encephalization Quotient (EQ) ratios after humans are

A) dolphins
B) humans
C) whales
D) chimps

Question 33

Intelligence may be subject to convergent evolution because it

A) is inevitable
B) is a fundamental characteristic of life
C) has survival value
D) is required for survival

Question 34

A dinosaur like a Brontosaurus with a small head and a large body would be expected to have an Encephalization Quotient (EQ) of

A) exactly 1
B) less than 1 but greater than zero
C) zero
D) greater than 1

Question 35

Which of the following physical parameters is NOT under the control of a radio telescope?

A) the direction pointed on the sky
B) the bandwidth
C) the time of observation
D) the band

Question 36

The range of frequencies that a radio telescope is sensitive to is referred to as its

A) sensitivity
B) band
C) bandwidth
D) bandpass

Question 37

The fact that many different organisms on Earth have developed eyesight provides evidence for

A) cross-breeding
B) artificial selection
C) convergent evolution
D) genetic mutations

Question 38

Encephalization Quotient (EQ) values can be estimated for extinct species because

A) there is a linear relationship between the EQ and time, thus allowing extrapolation
B) extinct species always have the same EQ value
C) we can estimate their body masses from their fossilized remains and their brain masses from the sizes of their fossilized cranial cavities
D) we can always find similar species in existence today to make measurements of

Question 39

Why are radio waves probably the most efficient way to communicate between civilizations?

A) radio waves are easy to produce and are not affected much by interstellar matter in the galaxy
B) radio waves are the most penetrating of all electromagnetic radiations
C) all advanced civilizations are certain to use radio waves for communication
D) radio waves are the only kind of electromagnetic radiation that can carry information

Question 40

The range of frequencies that are contained in a particular radio signal is referred to as its

A) bandpass
B) sensitivity
C) bandwidth
D) band

Question 41

Approximately how soon might we expect an immediate response from a civilization that received the signal we sent to the globular cluster M13 (21,000 light-years away) in 1974?

A) 84,000 years
B) 21,000 years
C) 10,500 years
D) 42,000 years

Question 42

The search for radio signals from intelligent civilizations on planets around nearby solar-type stars is an example of a

A) sky survey
B) targeted search
C) intentional search
D) random sweep

Question 43

If we were to intercept a signal from a civilization that was sent to another of its colonies on the other side of the galaxy, this would be an example of

A) a signal used for communication between a civilization's home world and another star system
B) a signal used for local communication the world where the intelligent beings exist
C) a signal used for communication between a civilization's home world and another planet in its own planetary system
D) an intentional signal beacon

Question 44

An optical SETI signal would most likely consist of

A) using mirrors to reflect light from the surface of a planet
B) using a giant disk to block out the light from the parent star
C) rapid, short bursts of intense laser light
D) a continuous beam of laser light

Question 45

Due to increasing amounts of terrestrial radio noise, in the future SETI telescopes may be placed

A) on the tops of tall mountains
B) in near-Earth orbit
C) on the far side of the Moon
D) in remote desert locations

Question 46

Sending signals at optical wavelengths might be a viable alternative to radio wavelengths

A) only between civilizations around solar-type stars whose eyes have evolved to see such radiation
B) over relatively short distances where absorption by interstellar matter would not be a problem
C) as long as the light transmitted is a different color than the light given off by the parent star
D) over all distances as long as the intensity of the signal is strong enough

Question 47

A SETI search using the 300-meter diameter Arecibo radio telescope can pick up a 10 million Watt at a distance of 1,000 light-years. If we were to detect a similar signal coming from 10,000 light-years away, how powerful would the alien antenna have to be?

A) 1 billion Watts
B) 10 million Watts
C) 10 billion Watts
D) 100 million Watts

Question 48

In 1974 we transmitted a message toward the globular cluster M13 which is 21,000 ly away. What is one reason that this object was probably not ideal for sending a message to?

A) it is so far away that we will probably have stopped communicating before we receive and return signal
B) globular clusters contain young, high mass stars with insufficiently long main sequence lifetimes and hence are unsuitable places for life
C) the message will be absorbed by interstellar dust before it reaches the cluster
D) globular clusters contain, old, low mass stars with fewer heavy elements and hence are not ideal places for life

Question 49

Which of the following signals from an advanced civilization would be easiest to detect?

A) high intensity, narrow bandwidth
B) low intensity, wide bandwidth
C) high intensity, wide bandwidth
D) low intensity, narrow bandwidth

Question 50

Which of the following kinds of signal do we currently have the best chance of detecting with currently technology?

A) a signal used for communication between a civilization's home world and another star system
B) a signal used for communication between a civilization's home world and another planet in its own planetary system
C) an intentional signal beacon
D) a signal used for local communication in the world where the intelligent beings exist

Question 51

The Inner Galactic Plane Survey conducted with the Allen Telescope Array in northern California is an example of a

A) sky survey
B) targeted search
C) intentional search
D) random sweep

Question 52

The sweep technique used in SETI programs is also known as a

A) targeted search
B) intentional search
C) sky survey
D) random search

Question 53

If we were to intercept a strong radio signal at 1420 MHz in binary format from another civilization, this would be an example of

A) a signal used for communication between a civilization's home world and another planet in its own planetary system
B) a signal used for local communication in the world where the intelligent beings exist
C) an intentional signal beacon
D) a signal used for communication between a civilization's home world and another star system

Question 54

Which of the following is a prime number?

A) 13
B) 21
C) 49
D) 15

Question 55

Why was the globular cluster M13 selected as the target for the 1974 Arecibo message?

A) globular clusters are the most likely place to find stars with planetary systems
B) stars in globular clusters are rich in heavy elements, the building blocks of life
C) signals from advanced civilizations have previously been detected coming from this cluster
D) globular clusters are densely packed with stars, hence maximizing the probability of interception by an advanced civilization

Question 56

Currently in the USA, SETI programs are mostly funded

A) privately
B) by the US Government
C) by the United Nations
D) by the National Academy of Sciences

Question 57

If you arrange the following 15 bits (111001111100111) into 5 rows of 3 bits starting with the first bit, what number does it spell out?

A) 2
B) 3
C) 5
D) 1

Question 58

If we were to detect radio and TV signals that had leaked out into space from another civilization, this would be an example of

A) a signal used for communication between a civilization's home world and another star system
B) a signal used for communication between a civilization's home world and another planet in its own planetary system
C) a signal used for local communication in the world where the intelligent beings exist
D) an intentional signal beacon

Question 59

The most likely method of interstellar communication is similar to which type of communication on Earth?

A) sign language
B) telepathy
C) Morse code
D) the spoken word

Question 60

The 1420 MHz (21 cm) radio line generated by neutral hydrogen atoms is a good choice for interstellar communications because

A) it is the easiest radio frequency to generate
B) it is the only radio frequency that is not blocked by interstellar matter
C) all intelligent civilizations should be aware of its universal significance and would probably also think of sending and receiving signals at this frequency
D) it is the only frequency to which radio telescopes can be tuned

Question 61

What kind of civilization can life on Earth currently be classified as?

A) Type II
B) Type III
C) Type IV
D) Type I

Question 62

The Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence states that the first thing to do after the detection of a possible signal is to

A) send a reply
B) announce the discovery to the public
C) confirm that it is genuine
D) classify it top secret

Question 63

Optical SETI is useful for

A) focused communication over short distances and in particular directions
B) communication over wide areas and large distances
C) communication over large distances in directions where interstellar dust is not present
D) communication with civilizations which surround similar stars to our Sun and hence have evolved to see visible radiation

Question 64

One of the most likely places an advanced civilization might leave an artifact for us to find would be

A) in the desert of Roswell, New Mexico
B) the L4 and L5 points in the Earth-Moon system
C) in the Cydonia region of Mars
D) on the far side of the Moon

Question 65

What type of civilization would be able to construct a "Dyson Sphere" around its parent star to capture its radiation?

A) Type III
B) Type IV
C) Type II
D) Type I

Question 66

Any reply to a detected SETI signal should

A) be decided upon by the group of scientists who first detected the signal
B) be decided upon by the government of the country who first detected the signal
C) be sent immediately as a signal is received
D) represent a consensus of the Earth's population

Question 67

About 90% of UFO sightings

A) are hoaxes
B) cannot be explained
C) are real sightings of alien craft
D) can be explained by natural phenomena

Question 68

A Lagrange point in the Earth-Moon system is a position

A) directly between the Earth and Moon
B) on the surface of the Moon that points directly away from the Earth
C) on the Earth's surface that the Moon's gravity is concentrated
D) in space where the effects of the Earth's and Moon's gravity cancel each other out

Question 69

Approximately what proportion of people in the United States believe we have been visited by extraterrestrials?

A) around 33% or a third
B) about 50% or a half
C) less than 1%
D) more than 90%

Question 70

A UFO is

A) an unidentified object seen in the sky
B) an alien spaceship
C) a hoax
D) a natural phenomenon

Question 71

In the novel Contact by Carl Sagan, an extremely advanced civilization has constructed a labyrinth of wormholes throughout the galaxy. A civilization capable of such a feat would most likely be classified as what kind of civilization?

A) Type III
B) Type II
C) Type IV
D) Type I

Question 72

If there around 10,000 transmitting civilizations in the Milky Way, then theoretically the Allen Telescope Array, when it is complete, might be capable of detecting a signal within a few

A) years
B) centuries
C) months
D) decades

Question 73

On the basis of the scientific method, which of the following would be considered conclusive evidence that we are being visited by aliens?

A) an eyewitness account
B) none of these would be conclusive
C) claims of alien abduction made under hypnosis
D) a photograph

Question 74

Which Lagrange points in the Earth-Moon system are stable?

A) L1 only
B) L4 and L5
C) L2 and L3
D) all are stable

Question 75

After World War II, the U.S. Government spent two decades investigating UFOs because they

A) were themselves developing new types of aircraft and used the official investigation as a cover-up
B) thought that they might be new types of aircraft being developed by the Soviet Union
C) knew that UFOs were alien craft and used the official investigation as a cover-up
D) were afraid that an alien civilization was in the process of invading the Earth