A Short History of Nearly Everything

Questions and Answers

How far is the closest star?

Proxima Centauri, 4.3 lightyears away

What is an Astronomical Unit?

1 AU = distance from Sun to Earth

How far in AUs is Pluto?

40 AUs

What's Nucleosynthesis?

Process of creation of heavy elements during the Supernovae explosion. Signup and view all the answers

How many hours does an average human life have?

650,000 hours Signup and view all the answers

What is a cosmic singularity?

An infinitesimal point which holds a gargantuan amount of matter. Signup and view all the answers

What is the implication of capitalism according to the text?

Capitalism does better when we work as we were designed Signup and view all the answers

What do company leaders need to remember?

Every single employee is someone's son or daughter. Like a parent, a leader of a company is responsible for their precious lives. Signup and view all the answers

What's the average lifespan of a species?

4 million years Signup and view all the answers

How much mass does Hydrogen convert into energy?

Hydrogen converts 0.007 of its mass into energy Signup and view all the answers

Why is our solitary sun system an oddity?

Most systems in cosmos are binary Signup and view all the answers

What's the etymology of the word 'Jurassic'?

Jura mountains on the border of France and Switzerland Signup and view all the answers

What are the four great chunks of geological time division?

<ol> <li>Precambrian, 2. Palaeozoic, 3. Mesozoic, 4. Cenozoic</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What's up with the current Ice Age?

We are within an abnormally long inter-glacial that lasts 10,000 years. Signup and view all the answers

How did mountains and a country start an Ice Age?

40 million years ago India slammed into Asia and raised Himalayas & Tibet, disrupting wind flow. Signup and view all the answers

What's the unsettling thought about humans?

It's an unnerving thought that we may be the living universe's supreme achievement and its worst nightmare simultaneously. Signup and view all the answers

What are the 4 bases of DNA?

Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine Signup and view all the answers

What's a proteome?

A library of information that creates proteins Signup and view all the answers

What problem arises in genetics with the discovery that humans have only 40,000 genes?

40,000 genes is not enough to make a complex human being. Signup and view all the answers

What's ATP?

Adenosine TriPhosphate; little battery pack molecules in cells. Signup and view all the answers

What's the Uncertainty Principle?

Electron is both a wave and a particle but never both at once. Signup and view all the answers

What's a Quantum Leap?

Electron disappearing from its orbit and instantaneously reappearing in another, without moving through the space between them. Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of lead on the brain?

Lead is a neurotoxin which can damage the brain. Signup and view all the answers

What's the name of the person responsible for lead poisonings and the ozone hole?

Thomas Midgley Jr Signup and view all the answers

What are the dangers of CFC?

CFCs are 10,000% more efficient at greenhouse effects than CO2. Signup and view all the answers

What is ozone?

It's a curious polluting substance made of 1 extra oxygen molecule. Signup and view all the answers

How thick is the ozone layer?

2mm Signup and view all the answers

What are some infamous accomplishments of Thomas Midgley?

He invented tetra-ethyl lead and CFC, which led to significant environmental impacts. Signup and view all the answers

What's the sad story of the first dinosaur bone ever found?

In 1787, a guy found a large thigh bone, which went unnoticed for 50 years. Signup and view all the answers

When were the dinosaurs discovered?

1824, by William Buckland of Oxford. Signup and view all the answers

Why was Darwin's book title ironic?

Because the origin of species was the only thing Darwin couldn't explain. Signup and view all the answers

How many chromosomes does the human genome have?

46 Signup and view all the answers

How many chromosomes does a potato have?

48 Signup and view all the answers

What's apoptosis?

Programmed cell death; cells devour themselves if not instructed otherwise. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Space and Time

Proxima Centauri is the closest star, located 4.3 light-years away as part of the Alpha Centauri star cluster.
An Astronomical Unit (AU) is defined as the distance from the Sun to Earth, measuring approximately 93 million miles.
Pluto's distance from the Sun is about 40 AU.
Cosmic singularities are infinitesimal points that contain immense amounts of matter, lacking dimensions.

Geological and Biological Timeframes

The average lifespan of a species is approximately 4 million years.
Four major geological time periods are:
- Precambrian
- Palaeozoic (Greek for "old life")
- Mesozoic (Greek for "middle life")
- Cenozoic (Greek for "recent life")
Current interglacial periods are unusually long, lasting around 10,000 years, while the peak of the last Ice Age occurred 20,000 years ago.

Human Impact and Genetics

An average human life spans about 650,000 hours.
Humans have around 40,000 genes, akin to the number of genes found in grass; this number is insufficient for the complexity of human beings, complicating genetic manipulation.
The human genome consists of 46 chromosomes, while potatoes possess 48 chromosomes.

Chemistry and Physics

Nucleosynthesis refers to the formation of heavy elements during supernova explosions.
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) functions as cellular energy packs, with each cell containing about 1 billion at any given time, replenished every 2 minutes.
The Uncertainty Principle states that an electron can exist as both a wave and a particle, but never simultaneously, leading to probabilistic knowledge of its position.

Environmental Concerns

Thomas Midgley Jr. is linked to significant environmental issues due to his invention of leaded gasoline and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
CFCs are highly efficient greenhouse gases, with the potential to deplete the ozone layer, where 1 kg can destroy 70,000 kg of ozone and may take over 100 years to dissipate.
The ozone layer, important for absorbing harmful ultraviolet light, has a thickness of only 2 mm.

Evolution and Discovery

The first dinosaur bone was discovered in 1787 but remained unrecognized in a storage room for 50 years due to lack of understanding.
Dinosaurs were formally recognized in 1824 through the work of William Buckland.
Darwin’s book, "On the Origin of Species," is ironically titled as he could not fully explain the origin of species.

DNA and Cell Biology

The four bases of DNA include adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine.
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death, where cells self-destruct without external signals if not instructed to remain alive.
Hydrogen, when converted, utilizes 0.007 of its mass into energy, highlighting its role in nucleosynthesis.

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Test your knowledge of key concepts from Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' with this set of flashcards. Learn about astronomical distances, celestial objects, and the processes that shape our universe. Perfect for anyone interested in science and cosmology!

A Short History of Nearly Everything - Flashcards