1. When two hypotheses fit the data equally well and a scientist chooses to support the less complex of the two, s/he is applying the principle of ________.    [A] parasthesia    [B] minimalism    [C] revisionism    [D] parsimony

2. Choose the term that does NOT fit: GEOL1030 and _______ science.  [A] mathematical    [B] observational    [C] descriptive    [D] narrative

3. According to current thinking in the sciences, to be considered testable, a hypothesis must be:
[A] stated rigorously    [B] stated mathematically    [C] falsifiable    [D] verifiable

4. A mechanism which causes an increase in the rate at which a process occurs would be an example of a(n) _______ mechanism.
[A] positive feedback    [B] negative feedback    [C] contributive    [D] constructive interference

5. During the 19th century, geologists estimated that the Earth is a few million years old. Today we consider it to be a few billion years old (give or take a billion [ -- just kidding!]). Therefore, we can say that 19th century geologists erred by ________ .
[A] a factor of 4    [B] 1000 orders of magnitude    [C] 3 orders of magnitude    [D] 1 order of magnitude

6. You find a piece of granite -- a common igneous rock. The specific gravity of this variety of granite is known to be 2.72 (i.e. 2.72 gm/cc). If a cubic foot of water weighs about 62.4 lbs/cu. ft., how much would a cu. ft. of this granite weigh?
[A] 170 lbs.    [B] 23 lbs.    [C] 1256 lbs.    [D] 194 lbs.    [E] this cannot be determined using only the information provided

7. Upon heating, air in the atmosphere expands, making it less dense than the air around it. As a result, it rises. When air cools, it contracts, increasing its density -- so it descends. This is the principle that allows a hot air balloon to operate. Based on this information, we can conclude that temperature and density have an ________ relationship. [A] direct            [B] absolute            [C] intimate            [D] inverse

8. When James Hutton -- often considered the father of modern geology -- developed the concept of uniformitarianism, the field of geology experienced a drastic (i.e. major) change in its view of how earth processes operate. This change would best be described as a(n) _______.
[A] positive feedback loop    [B] model revision    [C] revolution    [D] paradigm shift

9. Your professor tells you that "bedrock during an earthquake behaves like Silly Putty (TM) -- if you deform it rapidly, it breaks. In other words, both Silly Putty and rock can deform as brittle solids." Your professor is using Silly Putty as a(n) ________ for faulting rock.
[A] generalization            [B] analogue (analogy)         [C] metaphor        [D] similie

10. In his novel, "Jurassic Park," Michael Crichton involves one of his rather minor characters (played by Jeff Goldblum in the film) in a bit of a diatribe concerning unanticipated consequences in science. To drive home one of his points, the character uses a somewhat fanciful example. Specifically, he says that the turbulence initiated by a butterfly's flight might eventually induce an atmospheric storm to form a thousand miles away. If true, this would be an extreme example of _________.
[A] positive feedback        [B] chaos        [C] negative feedback        [D] generalization