PrepTest 158, Section 4, Question 20
Paula: Earthlike planets seem to be the rule(109 more words not shown)
The dialogue provides the most(11 more words not shown)
- Ait is probable(11 more words not shown)
- Bit is probable(17 more words not shown)
- Cour technology is(5 more words not shown)
- Dthere is likely(7 more words not shown)
- Escientists should spend(11 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
What does “Earthlike” mean, and why should life elsewhere develop radios?
Paula moves from common Earthlike planets to intelligent beings, then from intelligent beings to familiar mathematics, physics, and technology. I have questions about those steps. A planet sharing some features with Earth doesn't by itself establish intelligent life, and an intelligent civilization might not follow our technological path.
Ashley challenges that second part. Ashley thinks our science and technology grow out of our particular bodies, minds, and environment, so we shouldn't expect aliens to develop the same things. I can question that claim too: would a different environment necessarily stop another civilization from discovering the physical phenomena we discovered? Neither speaker gets a free pass.
What we’re looking for
But the question is about their disagreement, not whether either has proved a position. Paula expects aliens to arrive at technologies such as radio communication. Ashley rejects that expectation and calls a radio search a waste. Focus on whether we should expect this shared technology, rather than importing our own objection about whether aliens exist at all.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Paula thinks intelligent aliens probably exist and would develop radio communication, giving our radio telescopes something to detect. Ashley argues that our technology is a distinctive result of our own circumstances and rejects the expectation underlying that search. A captures their conflict over the likelihood of intelligent aliens with radio technology.
- B
Ashley uses legal and political systems as a comparison. Paula never takes a position on whether aliens would share those systems. We can't turn Ashley's analogy into a view Paula expressed and then call it their disagreement.
- C
Ashley says our cognitive makeup influences our technology. Paula doesn't deny that. Paula could believe both that human minds influence our discoveries and that other intelligent beings would reach similar discoveries. We don't have opposing commitments on C.
- D
Paula does think intelligent life elsewhere is likely. Ashley doesn't challenge that claim; the response concerns what such life would be like technologically. Our initial concern about Paula's first step isn't automatically Ashley's objection.
- E
Paula expects radio telescopes to detect signs of aliens, but doesn't say scientists should spend more time or money on the search. Ashley's negative view of the search doesn't supply Paula with a specific recommendation to increase resources. We need a disagreement both speakers actually commit themselves to.
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