Astronomy current events question: smartphone network cosmic ray detector

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2014
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Cathy Lawhon, "Smartphone Network Could Track Incoming Cosmic Rays, UCI-Led Research Finds," (October 13, 2014)
http://news.uci.edu/press-releases/smartphone-network-could-track-incoming-cosmic-rays-uci-led-research-finds/

A team of University of California researchers developed a smartphone application that detects:
(A) solar storm interference.
(B) radioactivity levels.
(C) gravitational anomalies.
(D) aurora borealis activity.
(E) high energy particles from space.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 8 students
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 21 students