1. What are mesons? Why does Asimov use them in a story about time travel? Have other writers used mesons in a similar way?

2. What were Neanderthals? Were they human? What were their physical characteristics? When did they live?

Where did they live? Is Asimov's portrayal of a Neanderthal boy scientifically accurate?

3. Write part two to the Ugly Little Boy. Tell the story of what happens next in either of two scenarios—where Timmie and Edith Fellowes go or what happens back at Stasis, Inc. where Dr.

Hoskins is. How would Timmie and Edith Fellowes cope with their new environment? How would Dr. Hoskins's dreams survive the catastrophe?

4. How do scientific enterprises find funding? How would a scientific enterprise lose funding? Is the portrait of Dr. Hoskins's worries about funding accurate?

5. There are scientists who specialize in the field of...