AST 1002, Section 1, Fall 2002
Extra Credit Questions



Current Extra Credit Problems
Due: Thurs. Dec. 5, 2002 5pm

Answers should be sent to tadams@hep.fsu.edu

Answers should be sent in plain text email and should be written in your own words. Remember, copying from another source (book, website, another student, etc) is plagurism and will not result in extra credit being earned. Providing references can be helpful. You must understand everything which you submit. Make sure to include your name to receive credit.

Unless otherwise specified, each problem is worth 4 extra credit points


Question #6 - The search of extraterrestrial life (SETI) has come home. A program has been developed to use PCs from around the world to search for signs of intellengent life. The program is called SETI@Home. Tell me about the program. Why use lots of PCs instead of one big computer? What are we looking for? What happens if a computer finds a possible signal? Do you want to participate? (It's OK, you don't have to want to join and there's no extra additional credit for taking part.)



Previous Extra Credit Problems

Question #1 - The Flat Earth Society is an organization whose members advocate that the Earth is flat and that all evidence to the contrary (such as pictures from space) are fabrications. Discuss the evidence for a round Earth taking into account the arguments of the Flat Earth Society. What tests might you perform yourself? In light of the evidence, is it possible the Flat Earth Society is correct?

Question #2 - Mars is the most studied planet besides the Earth. NASA has an important series of missions to Mars, including Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Surveyor '98, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Exploration Rover. Pick two of these missions and give a brief description of the mission, its scientific goals and its results (if available).

Question #3 - This week scientists announced the discovery of a new Kuiper Belt object which is half the size of Pluto. Give me a brief report on this discovery including some of the facts known about the object, who found it and how it was discovered. What does this tell us about the other objects in the Solar System?

Question #4 - Supernova 1987A was a very scientifically interesting event. Give a few (more than 2) reasons why. You might discuss how it was observed, observation of neutrinos, what it told us, what it told us about star evolution, how likely such events are, etc. To receive full credit, cite 3 sources for your information. Make certain the sources are reliable (ex. some high school student's report on the web is not a reliable source).

Question #5 - The Sun should never be viewed directly with your eye. However, there are several safe techniques to study the Sun. Discuss how to view the Sun indirectly and also directly (in a safe manner) from the Earth's surface. Also, tell me a bit about one or more of the world's solar telescopes (hint: there's one at Sacramento Peak in New Mexico). What can we learn from viewing the Sun these ways?

Back to the AST1002 Section 1 homepage