A Friend of Yours (Who Has Not Had the Benefit

question 38

Multiple Choice

A friend of yours (who has not had the benefit of an astronomy course) tells you about a report he has read in a tabloid newspaper. They claim that on the dark side of the Moon, which is never in sunlight, there is a secret base of aliens who cannot stand light, and who send UFO's to Earth under the cover of darkness. Ignoring the UFO claim for a moment, what is the scientific error in this story?

• A) all sides of the Moon are illuminated by sunlight in the course of a month; there is no dark side
• B) sunlight cannot reach any side of the Moon, so every side of it is always looks the same
• C) the dark side of the Moon is the one that faces the Earth and our telescopes would have spotted such a base
• D) since the moon is turning, we see all sides of it from Earth in the course of a month
• E) there are no scientific problems with that story

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Definitions:

Feel

Experience or become aware of (an emotion or sensation).

Conformity

involves adjusting one's behavior or thinking to align with group norms or expectations, often due to real or imagined social pressure.

Obedience

The act of following orders or directives from authority figures, often studied in social psychology to understand the extent and limits of social influence.

Deindividuation

A psychological state where an individual loses their sense of self-awareness and individuality, often resulting in uninhibited and sometimes antisocial behavior.