Astronomy current events question: frequency of fast radio burst events

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2017
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!)

Megan Watzke and Peter Edmonds, "Fast Radio Bursts May Be Firing Off Every Second" (September 21, 2017)
cfa.harvard.edu/news/2017-28

Based on __________, it is estimated that there is a fast radio burst (FRB) going off somewhere in the observable universe each second.
(A) current sunspot activity.
(B) a single FRB source.
(C) the theory of general relativity.
(D) the expansion of spacetime.
(E) measurements of hydrogen "fog."

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 23 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 15 students