Consider again the civilization described in the previous question. (They live on a planet orbiting 10 AU from a close binary star system that consists of a 15 MSᵤn red giant star and a 10 MSᵤn black hole surrounded by an accretion disk.) Through a bizarre (and scientifically unexplainable) fluctuation in the space-time continuum, a copy of a book from that civilization arrives on your desk; it is entitled Iguoonos: How We Evolved. In the first chapter, you learn that these beings evolved from organisms that lived 5 billion years ago. Which of the following statements should you expect to find as you continue to read this book?
A) They evolved on a different planet in a different star system, and moved to their current location.
B) As a result of traumatic experiences to their evolutionary ancestors, they dislike television.
C) Their immediate ancestors were chimpanzees.
D) They believe that the presence of two stars in their system was critical to their evolution.
E) They evolved from primitive wormlike creatures that had 13 legs, 4 eyes, and bald heads, thus explaining why such critters are now considered a spectacular delicacy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

D  The civilization likely evolved on a different planet because a 15 MSᵤn red giant and a 10 MSᵤn black hole would not have existed in a stable form for 5 billion years. The presence of two stars could have influenced their evolution due to the complex gravitational and radiation environment.

Consider Again the Civilization Described in the Previous Question