The FINAL Exam

The Nu Earth Academy

Founders’ Foundational Program

Final Exam (Level 1)

[ANSWER KEY]

Congratulations! If you have received a copy of this final exam, it means you have successfully met all of the basic educational requirements for Founders’ Foundational Program at The Nu Earth Academy. We commend you for your hard work and unwavering dedication thus far in assisting the Nu Earth First Founders in preparing to rebuild our precious planet Earth after the Apocalypse.

This comprehensive exam consists of: two true/false statements, two short answer questions, six multiple choice questions, and a short essay.

Your response to the short essay will be scored according to the problem solving strategy presented and how well it reflects the ethos and objectives of the Nu Earth Founders’ Mission Statement. Your essay response will also be assessed in terms of your ability to synthesize all core course material, as well as the level of impact your proposed contribution will have in achieving our goal of perpetuating life on Earth following a disaster (“doomsday”) scenario. Essays that possess all of the above qualities, are inspirational, and demonstrate high levels of originality will receive the highest scores.

You will have 90 minutes to complete your exam. You may not use any materials for this exam aside from your official Founders’ Foundational Program Little Black Book. When you have completed your exam, it is strongly recommended that you use any remaining time to review your answers, especially your essay response for spelling, grammar and factuality.

Failure to achieve a passing score of at least 70% on this exam will result in immediate dismissal from The Nu Earth Founders’ Program and return to the civilian population. A score of 70% or above will qualify the candidate for consideration for The Nu Earth’s Core Pioneers Program.

In keeping with tradition, the candidate who earns the highest score on this exam and submits the most original and inspiring essay will be awarded a cash prize in the amount of $20,000.

The First Founders, faculty and staff here at The Nu Earth Foundation & Academy wish the best application of knowledge, skill and opportunity to you and to all life on Earth as we proactively prepare to rebuild our planet in the event of the Apocalypse.

To the next millennium & beyond!

Brita Lirnburg, Premiere First Founder & Chancellor of The Nu Earth Academy

..........................................................................................................

Name _______________________

Date _______________________

NU ID # _____________________

TRUE / FALSE QUESTIONS (5 points each)

(1.) According to Martin Rees, the highly esteemed astronomer and author of Our Final Century, the odds of humankind surviving until 2100 are only 50% .

ANSWER: TRUE

(2.) “There's no harm in hoping for the best as long as you're prepared for the worst.” -Stephen King.

ANSWER: TRUE

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (5 points each)

(3.) Among scientists, what are the five most likely causes of the imminent, global Apocalypse? (List 5)

ANSWERS:

#1 Cyber warfare

[Also acceptable: Cybergeddon, cyber terrorism, cyber warfare, cyber crime or hacktivism. Do not accept: loss of internet/Wi-Fi connection or forgetting email passwords.]

#2 Climate catastrophe

[Also acceptable: climate emergency, climate crisis, climate breakdown, climate change, environmental catastrophe, environmental emergency, environmental breakdown or environmental crisis. Award ½ point for global warming or global heating.]

#3 Infectious disease pandemic(s)

[Accept any variation of: global spread of infectious / communicable disease or global disease outbreak. Do not accept: computer virus or toxic people.]

#4 Nuclear apocalypse

[Also acceptable: nuclear war, nuclear bomb, nuclear strike or nuclear accident. Do not accept: giant bomb or world war.]

#5 Asteroid or meteoroid collision with Earth

[Also acceptable: comet impact, space junk collision, shooting star, high energy solar flare, gamma ray burst, supernova explosion or alien invasion.]

[Note: Award full points if answers are listed in the correct order of threat. Deduct ½ point for each response that is not accurately ranked.]

(4.) What are the two most severe long-term effects on human civilization caused by most Apocalyptic scenarios? (List 2)

ANSWERS:

* Earth could become uninhabitable for humans and most life forms.

* Humanity could experience severe disruptions to global energy infrastructures, power grids, and technological systems, as well as losses of discoveries, inventions, technologies, information and knowledge acquired over hundreds of thousands of years of human existence. [Accept any variation of: All human knowledge and technologies could be severely disrupted or lost.]

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (5 points each)

(5.) According to the official Global Apocalypse Preparation Plan, which steps are necessary to adequately prepare for the anticipated loss of information, knowledge and communication technologies that will occur following any type of Apocalypse?

A. Develop and implement server-less technological infrastructures

B. Design highly resilient physical and technological infrastructures that can sustain impacts from earthquakes, floods, fires, nuclear weapons, bombs, asteroids and other forms of physical attack

C. Ensure that each municipality has its own functioning local power grid, an ample supply of generators, ham radios (and other wireless communication devices), and physical wires / connector cables

D. Do not rely solely on cloud-based storage as a data storage strategy

E. All of the above

ANSWER: E. All of the above

(6.) According to the official Global Apocalypse Recovery Commission’s “Critical Supplies List" which of two essential supplies have been deemed to be of greatest importance in a post-Apocalyptic world for ensuring secure knowledge transmission for surviving Nu Earth Founders and future generations?

A. Fire starting implements and multitool survival knives

B. Topographic maps and compasses

C. Heat resistant writing instruments and notebooks (preferably little black notebooks)

D. Flashlights and water filtration systems

E. A & C

ANSWER: C. Heat resistant writing instruments and notebooks (preferably little black notebooks)

(7.) According to the “Cuneiform Clay Tablets to Little Black Books” theory of human civilization, which human invention has been the most significant in promoting the greatest levels of technological progress, quality of life enhancements, cognitive development, creativity, knowledge transfer, improved human communications and overall human advancement? (i.e., Which inventions if lost would have the most dramatic impact on humans' ability to restore previous levels of civilization?)

A. The invention of the telephone

B. The invention of the wheel

C. The invention of the internet

D. The invention of writing and writing implements

ANSWER: D. The invention of writing and writing implements

(8.) In designing educational programs for future generations of students in a post-Apocalyptic world that lacks stable computer technologies, which skills should be given highest priority?

A. Text-based literacy skills, especially handwriting skills

B. Computer programming skills

C. Iron forging and basket weaving skills

D. Machine and engine repair skills

E. Writing implement design, repair and production skills

F. Both A & E

F. None of the above

ANSWER: F. Both A & E

(9.) In the post-Apocalyptic Nu Earth society, why will Scribes who possess expert levels of literacy be granted the highest levels of social status and privilege?

A. Scribes will be able to decode and interpret surviving records of human discoveries, inventions, and texts to revive lost information.

B. Scribes will be able to record new experiments, discoveries, inventions, knowledge and wisdom for future generations.

C. Scribes will not have high status in the Nu Earth society, because Warriors will have greater status as protectors of the Founders of the Nu Earth.

D. Scribes typically possess exceptional levels of appreciation for “the word” (i.e., texts, documents and books) and are therefore more likely to take necessary measures to preserve and protect all surviving books and documents.

E. All except C

ANSWER: E. All except C

(10.) Although the remaining pages of your Little Black Book (contained in your post-Apocalyptic survival kit) should be left blank for recording new discoveries, experiments, observations and inventions, what should the first 10 pages contain?

A. Blueprints for constructing wheels, nails, compasses, internal combustion engines, lightbulbs, telephones and internet networks

B. Instructions for irradiating water and food / removing fallout particles and radioactive materials from water and food

C. Detailed drawings of all plants known to be poisonous to humans

D. A choice selection of inspirational internet memes (including cat memes) for morale boosting

E. Instructions for purifying mold to develop Penicillin

F. All of the above

ANSWER: F. All of the above

SHORT ESSAY QUESTION (50 points possible)

If awarded the $20,000 Founders’ Foundation Fund, how do you plan to use the prize money to ensure the survival of the human species and all other lifeforms on this planet? (Word limit = 500 words)

EXAMPLE OF A WINNING RESPONSE (The essay submitted by last year's Founders' Fund winner and recruit to The Nu Earth’s Core Pioneers Program):

When one becomes aware of the imminent threats posed to all life on this planet by cyber attacks, climate catastrophe, disease pandemics, nuclear war, and asteroid impacts, it is cause for pensive reflection. The sadness one feels upon making this revelation is accompanied by a profound appreciation of just how much modern humans have created since they first emerged on this planet 200,000 years ago. Aside from being overcome by the desire to save every species on this planet from permanent extinction, one becomes determined to do as much as possible to preserve and protect the immense wealth of discoveries, inventions, and creations produced in humans’ relatively short history.

When the reality of the impending threats to Earth and human civilization really hit home for me personally I was working in cyber security. What ensued was a debilitating existential panic that I was wasting my life, since nearly all Apocalyptic scenarios will almost inevitably involve a loss of computer technology and electronically-stored information. However, after discovering the Nu Earth Foundation, my mission in life crystallized, and I felt renewed hope. Since beginning my studies in the Founders’ Foundational Program, I have begun to actualize my mission as an instrument in the “backing up” process of all acquired human knowledge and experience in non-digital forms. While my training as a Scribe has equipped me with the skills and knowledge needed to fulfill my mission, being awarded the Founders’ Foundation Fund would supply me with the resources necessary to empower many more Field Scribes to undertake the critical work of storing essential information in more secure and enduring formats.

Thus, if awarded the Founders’ Fund, I would dedicate the entirety of this fund (excluding the $9,000 I need to pay off my student loans to commit to my mission full time) to Project Little Black Book. Through this project, promising young Field Scribes would be supplied with their own Little Black Books, similar to the one I received upon entering my Scribe training. In my personal assessment, it is most alarming to observe that young people currently rely solely on insecure media formats to record their wealth of life experiences and to transmit knowledge. Thus, the use of a Little Black Book (stored securely in a heat-resistant personal safe) is the best hope we have of transmitting to future generations the insights, experiences, aspirations and knowledge of the most creative, inquisitive and information-rich groups of young people ever to exist since the dawn of human history. In my estimates, $11,000 is enough to distribute 550 little black books to the same number of carefully-selected 18-24 year-olds across cultures. When charged with the task of scribing their cultures’ most essential qualities and equipped with the necessary record-making implements, I feel confident that these 550 individuals can play a hugely instrumental role in advancing The Nu Earth Founders’ efforts to ensure the secure transmission of critical human knowledge and wisdom to many future generations, thus vastly increase the chances of our species’ longer-term survival.