Parallel ReasoningDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Relativity says you can't go faster than light. Quantum mechanics says tachyons do exactly that. Therefore, if relativity is right, either quantum mechanics is lying or tachyons are actually traveling backward in time.
Conclusion: If the theory of relativity is valid, then either the quantum mechanical data regarding tachyons is wrong or those particles are moving backward in time.
Reasoning: Relativity dictates that forward travel faster than light is impossible, yet quantum mechanics claims tachyons exceed light speed.
Analysis: The structure of this argument is: If Theory A is true, then Phenomenon X is impossible. Theory B, however, claims Phenomenon X occurs. Therefore, if Theory A is true, either Theory B is incorrect or Phenomenon X is actually a different phenomenon (Y) that doesn't violate Theory A. To find the parallel, look for an argument that attempts to reconcile a conflict between a rule and an observation by offering two alternatives: the observation is false, or the observation is a special case that fits the rule. The 'either/or' conclusion is a vital structural component to match.
Conclusion: If the theory of relativity is valid, then either the quantum mechanical data regarding tachyons is wrong or those particles are moving backward in time.
Reasoning: Relativity dictates that forward travel faster than light is impossible, yet quantum mechanics claims tachyons exceed light speed.
Analysis: The structure of this argument is: If Theory A is true, then Phenomenon X is impossible. Theory B, however, claims Phenomenon X occurs. Therefore, if Theory A is true, either Theory B is incorrect or Phenomenon X is actually a different phenomenon (Y) that doesn't violate Theory A. To find the parallel, look for an argument that attempts to reconcile a conflict between a rule and an observation by offering two alternatives: the observation is false, or the observation is a special case that fits the rule. The 'either/or' conclusion is a vital structural component to match.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage22.The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following arguments is most similar to that in the argument above?
Correct Answer
C
C matches: If modern medicine is right, a brain can’t survive without oxygen for more than minutes (constraint). A witness reports a week-long burial (potential conflict). Conclusion: If medicine isn’t wrong, either the witness is mistaken or the shaman didn’t actually lack oxygen (a way to avoid the conflict). This mirrors the original’s conditional-plus-disjunction pattern.
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