Discuss the main developments in ancient Babylonian astronomy, with particular reference to the calendar, zodiac and astronomical diaries. In what ways did Babylonian astronomy influence that of ancient Greece ? How are the observations in the astronomical diaries of value in modern science ? [10 marks]
In the conclusion to Origin of Species, Charles Darwin wrote: "As all the living forms of life are lineal descendants of those which lived before the Cambrian epoch, we may feel certain that the ordinary succession by generation has never once been broken .... Hence we may look with some confidence to a secure future of great length." A modern paraphrase of this is ``The Sun will eventually exhaust its hydrogen fuel, and life as we know it on our home planet will eventually end, but the human race is resilient. Our progeny will seek new homes, spreading into every corner of the Universe just as organisms have colonized every possible niche of the Earth....somewhere we expect that some of our children will carry on for ever.'' Examine this statement in the light of current evidence for an open Universe.
Your answer should include a discussion of the evidence for an open Universe, including dark matter and dark energy (the Cosmological constant). [3 marks]