UNIT TEN: "LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE"
By: JAMES
BUTLER
SHORT-ANSWER
QUESTIONS:
Q: 01. What new
theory concerning the origin of the planets is presented by Professor Butler?
Ans: The new
theory concerning the origin of the planets is presented by Professor Butler
which states that the planets originated with the breakup of a star in a huge
explosion which produced a million planetary systems in our own galaxy.
Q: 02. What in brief are his views on the probability of life existing in worlds other than our own?
Ans: According to
Butler, The conditions of air, water, food etc. may exist on other planets or
in another world as well and life there may have passed through stages similar
to those in this world so, life can exist in different forms on some other
planets than Earth too.
Q: 03. What had to be understood for chemistry to become a scientist?
Ans: The basic
concept on which the Chemistry is built up is that chemicals can be combined to
form some new chemical substances having different properties from the
properties of the original ones had to be understood for chemistry to become a
scientist.
Q: 04. Who was responsible for the atomic theory of chemistry?
Ans: Dalton was
responsible for the Atomic Theory of Chemistry.
Q: 05. What was the original distinction between ‘organic’ and ‘inorganic’ substances? Does this distinction still hold food in modern science?
Ans: The original
distinction between ‘organic’ and ‘inorganic’ substances was compounds prepared
from living substances are called “Organic” and others “Inorganic”. No, this
distinction does not hold food in modern science now.
Q: 06. How does Butler justify his belief in the importance of scientific research into the nature of living things?
Ans: Butler
justifies his belief in the importance of scientific research into the nature
of living things by saying that increased knowledge of man’s knowledge about
universe, life, origination of life, chemistry and structure of substances is
just because of scientific research into the nature of living things.
Q: 07. How, according to Butler, was science responsible for fostering a popular belief that man is insignificant?
Ans: According to
Butler, science was responsible for fostering a popular belief that man is
insignificant because it was formerly believed that life came on Earth by
chance and there was no life on other planets than Earth and our Earth is like
a grain of sand from all the grains of sands on all the seashores of the world
as compared to its size and presence in the vast universe.
Q: 08. Why does Butler think that calculating machines ought not to be called ‘mechanical brains’?
Ans: Butler thinks
that calculating machines ought not to be called ‘mechanical brains’ because
they cannot be equal to human brain. They are limited in their performance and
can never be as intensive or powerful as the human brain is.
Q: 09. Why did the scientists of the Nineteenth century tend to find simplicity in the universe?
Ans: The
scientists of the Nineteenth century tend to find simplicity in the universe
because the scientist dealt with the elemental or basic forces and not with the
true complexities. So he was inclined to find simplicity in the universe and
tried to understand the universe in terms of some simple relation between
physical realities.
Q: 10. Why, according to Butler, is modern science likely to restore man’s faith in his own importance in the universe?
Ans: According to
Butler, modern science is likely to restore man’s faith in his own importance
in the universe by helping him to study the complexities of human existence and
the richness of human of astronomers, mathematicians and physicists have shown
the depth and width of human intelligence and understandings.
Q: 11. Compare and contrast Jeans’s and Butler’s views about the origin of Earth.
Ans: According to
Jeans, the creation of earth is the result of Stellar Encounter. Two thousand
million years ago, a wandering star came very close to the sun and created
tides on the surface of the sun. a huge amount of matter was torn off the sun
and got scattered in the universe in the shape of small pieces. Our earth is
one of those pieces. According to Butler, the creation of earth is the result
of the explosion of stars in which a big star exploded near our sun and threw
off small pieces of matter which later made the earth and other planets.
Q: 12. Compare and contrast Jeans’s and Butler’s views about the place of life.
Ans: According to
Jeans, life is something unimportant. It is a by-product which came into
existence by chance or by mistake. The universe is indifferent and hostile to
life. Life exists only on Earth and our earth is like one millionth part of a
grain of sand in the universe. So man is alone in the universe and he is an insignificant
creature. According to Butler, life isn’t as unimportant as Jeans thinks and it
is found on other planets also. According to their gravity and climate, the
shape and form of life on other planet may be different. He believes that man
is important in the universe, not because of his size but because of his
intelligence.