Sagan began to fear the effects of global climate change in a. the 1960s b. the 1970s c. the 1980s
Discussion/essay questions
Do you think space exploration is important for the future of humanity? Why or why not?
Transcript
Carl Sagan was an American astronomer and science writer. He is widely known for his 1980 TV series Cosmos and book by the same name, which helped introduce astronomy concepts to everyday people. Sagan was very interested in the possibility of alien life. He studied the climates of other planets to find out if they were habitable. He was the first scientist to show that the high temperatures on Venus were because of a greenhouse effect. In the 1970s, Sagan led the project of putting together the Golden Records for NASA’s Voyager probes. Sagan and his team chose a series of images and sounds to represent life on Earth. Sagan was very concerned about the future of humanity. He advocated for nuclear disarmament, and his research on Venus’s climate caused him to fear the effects of global climate change early in the 1960s.
The ruins of the Roswell craft were originally discovered by a. a farmer b. a spy c. a policeman
A news article claimed that the US military had found a. a Soviet spycraft b. a time machine c. a flying saucer
The US military originally claimed the craft was a. a drone b. a weather balloon c. a surveillance device
Discussion/essay questions
Do you believe that any UFO sightings have actually been aliens? Why or why not?
UFO theories have started to become popular again. Why do you think this is?
Transcript
The Roswell incident was a reported UFO sighting in 1947. It began when W. W. Brazel, a farmer from Roswell, New Mexico, discovered the ruins of a strange aircraft. Brazel brought some scraps from the aircraft to the local police, who took the evidence to the US military. By then, rumours were beginning to circulate. A news article claimed that the military had discovered a “flying saucer”, and there were reports of alien bodies recovered from the craft. The military originally claimed that the aircraft was a weather balloon. Over 40 years later, they explained that it was part of a classified mission to spy on Soviet nuclear projects. The “bodies” were likely test dummies. The US government’s secrecy during the Cold War made UFO reports common. Today, many people still hold conspiracy theories about UFO sightings.
The universe is about a. 4.5 billion years old b. 13 billion years old c. 50 billion years old
Fermi thought that if older civilizations existed, a. they should have contacted us already b. they wouldn’t be friendly to us c. they would have destroyed each other
The Great Filter is a. a hypothetical barrier that stops life from developing b. a hypothetical type of technology for interstellar travel c. a hypothetical civilization that has the power to contact other civilizations
Discussion/essay questions
Do you believe in life on other planets? If so, why do you think they haven’t contacted us? If not, what makes you think we’re alone?
Scientists who believe in the Great Filter are not sure if we are past it. What could stop life on Earth from developing further?
Transcript
The Fermi paradox is based on a question asked by a scientist named Enrico Fermi: if the universe is so large, why haven’t we found intelligent life yet? Although it is a very simple question, it has confused scientists for decades. The universe has existed for over 13 billion years, but our planet is only about 4.5 billion years old. Fermi believed that if human life could develop so quickly, there surely had to be older, more advanced civilizations out there. These civilizations likely would be capable of interstellar travel. If this is true, then aliens should have contacted us already. Many people have proposed explanations since Fermi first asked the question in 1950. One possibility is something called a Great Filter, which is a hypothetical barrier that stops most types of life from developing past a certain point.
Can you think of some other books, movies, or TV shows that use humour to criticize society?
Transcript
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a comedy science fiction novel by English author Douglas Adams. The book is based on a radio series that Adams created in 1978. The protagonist, Arthur Dent, learns from his alien friend Ford Prefect that the world is about to end. Ford helps Arthur escape, and the two begin to travel through the galaxy. Along the way, Arthur learns that Earth was really a computer built to reveal the truth about “life, the universe, and everything”. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a very satirical story. Many of the humorous events in the book represent problems in society. Adams published four more novels about Arthur Dent’s adventures before his death in 2001.
