1. Discuss Plato's idea about the proper way to investigate reality, and compare his method with the method that is used by modern scientists.

2. Even though Aristarchus was correct in asserting that the Sun, not the Earth, was the central body in the solar system, his idea found few followers in his time. Discuss why this was so.

3. How well did Ptolemy's geocentric, epicyclic model conform to the observed motions of the planets? Did this model represent the simplest explanation of the observed motion of the planets?

4. In what ways did Ptolemy's epicyclic model obey the teachings of Aristotle, and in what ways did it violate his teachings?

5. Explain in your own words what parallax is, and why nearby stars should undergo parallactic motion as seen from the moving Earth.

6. Why are astronomical developments in the Americas not considered to have been influential in the development of modern astronomy, despite the high level of sophistication reached by early American cultures?