Understanding Scientific Missteps

What was the widely accepted belief about the origin of small creatures like worms and insects before the 17th century?

• They evolved from larger animals.

• They were created by divine intervention.

• They developed from non-living matter.

• They were born from other animals.

Which scientist's experiments provided major evidence against the theory of spontaneous generation?

• Isaac Newton

• Louis Pasteur

• Albert Einstein

• Francesco Redi

What was the aether believed to be in the context of light propagation?

• A form of dark matter

• A type of electromagnetic radiation

• A medium for light waves

• A medium for sound waves

Which experiment was crucial in disproving the existence of the luminiferous aether?

• Michelson-Morley experiment

• Redi's jar experiment

• Pasteur's broth experiment

• Lavoisier's water formation experiment

What was phlogiston believed to be responsible for?

• Photosynthesis

• Electricity

• Combustion and rusting

• Magnetism

Who proved that oxygen was responsible for combustion reactions?

• Christiaan Huygens

• Johann Becher

• Georg Ernst Stahl

• Antoine Lavoisier

What did the Steady State hypothesis propose about the universe?

• The universe is constantly being created anew.

• The universe is contracting.

• The universe is expanding but looks the same over time.

• The universe is static and unchanging.

What discovery in 1964 challenged the Steady State hypothesis?

• The age of the Earth

• The discovery of quasars

• Cosmic microwave background radiation

• The expansion of the universe

What did the Contracting Earth theory suggest about the formation of mountains and valleys?

• They were formed by the Earth's surface cooling faster than the interior.

• They were formed by volcanic activity.

• They were formed by tectonic plate movements.

• They were formed by erosion.

Which theory eventually replaced the Contracting and Expanding Earth theories?

• The theory of evolution

• The theory of relativity

• The theory of spontaneous generation

• The theory of plate tectonics