What Recent Series of Discoveries Has Made Astronomers More Optimistic

question 33

Multiple Choice

What recent series of discoveries has made astronomers more optimistic about our prospects of finding life out there?

• A) the discovery of a form of silicon-based life in the volcanic vents of Venus
• B) the discovery of planets around thousands of stars in our Galaxy
• C) the discovery of a black hole approaching our solar system at rapid speed
• D) the discovery of many key building blocks of life in a crater near the polar region of the Moon
• E) the discovery of a spaceship, built by an alien civilization, that crashed in New Mexico

---

Definitions:

Prefrontal Cortex

The front part of the frontal lobes of the brain, involved in decision making, problem-solving, control of purposeful behaviors, consciousness, and emotions.

Korsakoff's Syndrome

A chronic memory disorder caused by severe deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1), most often associated with prolonged alcoholism.

Confabulation

The creation of altered, false, or misrepresented recollections about one's own life or the world, without the deliberate aim to mislead.

Alzheimer's Disease

A degenerative brain disorder characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and personality changes.