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?
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How many hours does an average human life have?
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What is a cosmic singularity?
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What is the implication of capitalism according to the text?
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What do company leaders need to remember?
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What's the average lifespan of a species?
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How much mass does Hydrogen convert into energy?
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Why is our solitary sun system an oddity?
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What's the etymology of the word 'Jurassic'?
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What are the four great chunks of geological time division?
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What's up with the current Ice Age?
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How did mountains and a country start an Ice Age?
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What's the unsettling thought about humans?
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What are the 4 bases of DNA?
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What's a proteome?
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What problem arises in genetics with the discovery that humans have only 40,000 genes?
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What's ATP?
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What's the Uncertainty Principle?
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What's a Quantum Leap?
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What is the effect of lead on the brain?
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What's the name of the person responsible for lead poisonings and the ozone hole?
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What are the dangers of CFC?
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What is ozone?
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How thick is the ozone layer?
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What are some infamous accomplishments of Thomas Midgley?
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What's the sad story of the first dinosaur bone ever found?
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When were the dinosaurs discovered?
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Why was Darwin's book title ironic?
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How many chromosomes does the human genome have?
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How many chromosomes does a potato have?
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What's apoptosis?
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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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Description
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!