Book questions "Magic of reality"
Book questins from the Book "Magic of Reality" from Richard Dawkins
Book questins from the Book "Magic of Reality" from Richard Dawkins
Set of flashcards Details
| Flashcards | 84 |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Category | Literature |
| Level | Secondary School |
| Created / Updated | 27.12.2016 / 28.12.2016 |
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Chapter 1
How do we know that things exist?
Five senses
Chapter 1
Apart from our five senses, what other ways are there to find out what things exist(ed)?
Scientific instruments
Chapter 1
Why are telescope like a time machine?
We look at far-away galaxies where the light emitted takes a long time to reach us
Chapter 1
Why are models used in science?
Models describe something complex/abstact part of the scientific procedure:
hypothesis, experiment, proof
Chapter 1
What was Gregor Mendel's achievement?
Laws of heredity
Chapter 1
Which three senses (meanings) of the term "magic" does Dawkins describe?
Which one does he use in his title?
Supernatural magic
poetic magic
stage magic
title: poetic magic
Chapter 1
What does the history of science show?
the scientific process constantly expands what we can explain
Chapter 1
What is illustrated by the example of the pack of cards?
Laws of probability determine all events
Chapter 1
What fundamental question did Darwin answer? And what was his answer?
How do complex organisms come into existence?
Gradual change
Chapter 1
What is Darwin's great idea called in short?
Evolution by natural selection
Chapter 2
How does Dawkins illustrate 185 million generations?
With piles of pictures, a tower of 70'000 m, 180 New York skyscrapers,
Chapter 2
Why is the change from fish to human not easily noted?
Because the changes are so gradual, in tiny steps. Changes only visible when you skip lots of pictures
Chapter 2
What do fossils show? And how are they dated?
Earlier forms of life on the planet, can be dated using the half-life of atomic isotopes
Chapter 2
Why is the concept of evolution hard to understand?
Because is nearly invisible, being so gradual
Chapter 2
what is DNA?
DNA is a genetic information code contained in every living cell
Chapter 3
Why are there different languages?
Languages split up over time and due to geographical barriers, they drift apart
Chapter 3
What is the eyuivalent of words in animals?
Genes
Chapter 3
What is the differents between species and languages?
Words can be integrated in other languages, while genes never mix in separate species
Chapter 3
Why are islands important for the development of different species?
Because they provide geographical barriers that allow the development of separate species
Chapter 3
What is special about the galapagos islands?
They are comparatively young islands, so the iguanas must have arrived from the main land and the developed into separate species on the various islands
Chapter 3
How did the swimming iguanas of the Galapagos islands develop?
On one Island, iguanas ate seawood, and natural selection favoured skilled swimmers
Chapter 3
What happens to the gene pool over generations?
It changes under the influence of the environment
Chapter 4
What are things made of?
Made of atoms
Chapter 4
What are elements? What is a compound? What is a molecule?
Elements are a type of atoms
compound: a material with different atoms
molecule: a group of atoms
Chapter 4
What are crystals?
Atoms arranged in a fixed structure
Chapter 4
What are the three states of matter? When they do occur?
solid, liquid, gas
depends on temperature and pressure
Chapter 4
Try to describe the Rutherford/Bohr model of atoms in your own word
Solar system with a solid center (core with protons and neutrons) and "planets" as electrons whizzing around it.
Chapter 4
Why is a diamond crystal almost entirely made up of empty space?
Most of the mass of an atom is contained in its core. Distance from one core to the next: If core were a football, next core would be 15 km away
Chapter 4
What holds solid matter together?
electromagnetic charges and fields
Chapter 4
What determines the mass of an object
The mass of the cores, especially large atoms with many protons and neutrons
Chapter 4
What is carbon chemistry called
Organic chemistry
Chapter 4
What is special about carbon?
Carbon can form lang chains and combines really well to create all the molecules of living matter
Chapter 5
What is the illusion of relative movement?
Example of moving train (is your train moving and the neighboring train still, or it's the other way around); illusion that sun moves around earth
Chapter 5
What does the Wittgenstein story illustrate?
It would look exactly the same if the earth turned around the sun.... shows how unimaginative people werde
Chapter 5
Is the earth closer to the sun in summer?
Distance more or less the same. Angle of sunlight changes; Because earth angle towards the sun remains the same throughout the year, combination of radiatian and length of day
Chapter 5
How does Dawkins explain the orbital movement of the earth and the sun?
Massive cannonball which is shot at high speed, falling in a circular way around the object
Chapter 5
What is an ellipse, and how can you draw one?
Geometrical shape; using a piece of cord and two pins
Chapter 5
What is a geostationary satellite?
Satellite remaining over the same spot on earth
Chapter 5
How do comets move?
With slingshot effect, gravity of planets
Chapter 5
What is the true reason for summer and winter?
Earth's rational fixed angle and length of day
