CMN 150V EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+ 2025/2026
What paradigm underlies "computational science"? - ANS The digital revolution
In the late 1980's, how much information was stored digitally? And how much now? -
ANS less than 1%, now more than 99%
If we would take 5ZB of information and store it in books. How far would the pile reach? -
ANS Many times from the Earth to the Sun
What does it mean that the amount of technologically stored information "doubles" every 2-3
years? - ANS Each 2-3 years, as much is added to what we have accumulated since the
beginning
With digital revolution, what changed? - ANS More people document social reality nowadays
Did the DNA of all human cells store more or less information than digital technology in 2014?
(5 ZB) - ANS Less, digital information grows much much faster
What do evolutionary theorists say about the "Major Transitions in Evolution"? - ANS Every
time we (life) came up with a new way of processing information, a major transition happened
From this social evolutionary perspective, the digital and the biological are merged when: -
ANS Society as a whole has become indispensably dependent on digital technology
1 @COPYRIGHT 2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, The first wave of scientific advancements focused on: - ANS A small number of variables
The second wave of scientific advancements focused on: - ANS averages of many (rather
unknown) variables
Why is it limiting to study society with the dominant scientific methods from the 19th and 20th
century? - ANS Societies contain more than 2-3 variables and are too complex to work with
aggregate averages
When doing social science, we study what level of abstraction? - ANS Networks of people
and their tech
How and in reference to what did he use the word "emergence"? - ANS At each of these
levels, new rules/laws "emerge" that can be studied
Who does the Anteater (a bear-like animal) communicate with in this metaphor? - ANS An
ant colony called "Aunt Hillary"
What baffled philosophers like Kant, and sociologists like Durkheim? - ANS How predictable
social patterns emerge from a bunch of individual free will
What was a main distinction made by both economists like Smith and political scientists like
Rousseau? The distinction between: - ANS the intention of the individual and collective
intentions of society
All different kinds of "social science" disciplines are fundamentally interested in what? -
ANS How society emerges from individual parts
What was the main approach toward science adopted by Charles Darwin? - ANS He made
observations and from there, developed ideas
2 @COPYRIGHT 2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
ANSWERS GRADED A+ 2025/2026
What paradigm underlies "computational science"? - ANS The digital revolution
In the late 1980's, how much information was stored digitally? And how much now? -
ANS less than 1%, now more than 99%
If we would take 5ZB of information and store it in books. How far would the pile reach? -
ANS Many times from the Earth to the Sun
What does it mean that the amount of technologically stored information "doubles" every 2-3
years? - ANS Each 2-3 years, as much is added to what we have accumulated since the
beginning
With digital revolution, what changed? - ANS More people document social reality nowadays
Did the DNA of all human cells store more or less information than digital technology in 2014?
(5 ZB) - ANS Less, digital information grows much much faster
What do evolutionary theorists say about the "Major Transitions in Evolution"? - ANS Every
time we (life) came up with a new way of processing information, a major transition happened
From this social evolutionary perspective, the digital and the biological are merged when: -
ANS Society as a whole has become indispensably dependent on digital technology
1 @COPYRIGHT 2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, The first wave of scientific advancements focused on: - ANS A small number of variables
The second wave of scientific advancements focused on: - ANS averages of many (rather
unknown) variables
Why is it limiting to study society with the dominant scientific methods from the 19th and 20th
century? - ANS Societies contain more than 2-3 variables and are too complex to work with
aggregate averages
When doing social science, we study what level of abstraction? - ANS Networks of people
and their tech
How and in reference to what did he use the word "emergence"? - ANS At each of these
levels, new rules/laws "emerge" that can be studied
Who does the Anteater (a bear-like animal) communicate with in this metaphor? - ANS An
ant colony called "Aunt Hillary"
What baffled philosophers like Kant, and sociologists like Durkheim? - ANS How predictable
social patterns emerge from a bunch of individual free will
What was a main distinction made by both economists like Smith and political scientists like
Rousseau? The distinction between: - ANS the intention of the individual and collective
intentions of society
All different kinds of "social science" disciplines are fundamentally interested in what? -
ANS How society emerges from individual parts
What was the main approach toward science adopted by Charles Darwin? - ANS He made
observations and from there, developed ideas
2 @COPYRIGHT 2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
