Foundations of Astronomy
13th Edition
ISBN: 9781305079151
Author: Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Textbook Question
Chapter 26, Problem 25RQ
How does the stability of technological civilizations affect the probability that humanity can communicate with them?
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What will happen to society, politics, and daily life when non-conscious but highly intelligent algorithms know us better than we know ourselves?
The Drake equation In 1961 astronomer Frank Drakedeveloped an equation to try to estimate the number ofextraterrestrial civilizations in our galaxy that might be
able to communicate with us via radio transmissions. Nowlargely accepted by the scientific community, the Drakeequation has helped spur efforts by radio astronomers tosearch for extraterrestrial intelligence. Here is the equation:
NC = N # fp # ne # fl# fi# fc # fLOK, it looks a little messy, but here’s what it means:So, how many ETs are out there? That depends; valueschosen for the many factors in the equation depend onever-evolving scientific knowledge and one’s personalguesses. But now, some questions.a) What quantity is calculated by the first product, N # fp?b) What quantity is calculated by the product, N # fp # ne # fl?c) What probability is calculated by the product fl# fi?d) Which of the factors in the formula are conditionalprobabilities? Restate each in a way that makes thecondition clear.
Chapter 26 Solutions
Foundations of Astronomy
Ch. 26 - Explain how astrobiology is a science and not a...Ch. 26 - Prob. 2RQCh. 26 - Prob. 3RQCh. 26 - How does the DNA molecule produce a copy of...Ch. 26 - What would happen to a life-form if the genetic...Ch. 26 - What would happen to a life-form if the genetic...Ch. 26 - What would happen to a life-form if the...Ch. 26 - Describe an example of natural selection acting on...Ch. 26 - Prob. 9RQCh. 26 - What evidence do scientists have that life on...
Ch. 26 - Prob. 11RQCh. 26 - Why is liquid water generally considered necessary...Ch. 26 - Prob. 13RQCh. 26 - What is the difference between chemical evolution...Ch. 26 - Prob. 15RQCh. 26 - Why was Earths early atmosphere able to support...Ch. 26 - Molecules of which gas were needed in Earths...Ch. 26 - Does intelligence make a creature more likely to...Ch. 26 - Prob. 19RQCh. 26 - Prob. 20RQCh. 26 - What is the evidence that the first organisms on...Ch. 26 - Name three locations in our Solar System to search...Ch. 26 - Why are upper-main-sequence (high-luminosity) host...Ch. 26 - Prob. 24RQCh. 26 - How does the stability of technological...Ch. 26 - Prob. 26RQCh. 26 - Prob. 27RQCh. 26 - Why are scientists confident Earth has never been...Ch. 26 - Why does the Drake equation implicitly assume the...Ch. 26 - Prob. 1DQCh. 26 - Prob. 2DQCh. 26 - Prob. 3DQCh. 26 - Prob. 4DQCh. 26 - Prob. 5DQCh. 26 - A single human cell encloses about 1.5 m of DNA....Ch. 26 - If you represent Earths history by a line that is...Ch. 26 - Consider Figure 25-8. What is the ratio of the...Ch. 26 - Suppose a human generation is defined as the...Ch. 26 - If a star must remain on the main sequence for at...Ch. 26 - Prob. 6PCh. 26 - If you detected radio signals with an average...Ch. 26 - Prob. 8PCh. 26 - The first radio broadcast was made on January 13,...Ch. 26 - Prob. 10PCh. 26 - Look at Figure 25-11. Since the time we sent the...Ch. 26 - The star cluster shown in this image contains a...Ch. 26 - If you could search for life in the galaxy shown...
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- Why is traveling between the stars (by creatures like us) difficult?arrow_forwardHow does the stability of technological civilizations affect the probability that Earth can communicate with them?arrow_forwardSuppose astronomers discover a radio message from a civilization whose planet orbits a star 35 lightyears away. Their message encourages us to send a radio answer, which we decide to do. Suppose our governing bodies take 2 years to decide whether and how to answer. When our answer arrives there, their governing bodies also take two of our years to frame an answer to us. How long after we get their first message can we hope to get their reply to ours? (A question for further thinking: Once communication gets going, should we continue to wait for a reply before we send the next message?)arrow_forward
- What is the difference between chemical evolution and biological evolution?arrow_forwardWhat are some reasons that more advanced civilizations might want to send out messages to other star systems?arrow_forwardHow Do We know? How would you respond to someone who said, about biological evolution, “Oh, that’s only a theory.?arrow_forward
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