LSAT 105 – Section 4 – Question 13

LSAT 105 - Section 4 - Question 13

February 1999

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT105 S4 Q13
+LR
Flaw or descriptive weakening +Flaw
A
0%
146
B
98%
166
C
1%
154
D
0%
146
E
1%
154
128
135
142
 +Easier 144.839 +SubsectionEasier

Television allows us to transmit images of ourselves that propagate into space. The earliest of these transmissions have by now reached all of our neighboring star systems. None of these transmissions, so far as we know, has been recognized; we have yet to receive any messages of extraterrestrial origin. We must conclude that there is no extraterrestrial intelligence in any of our neighboring star systems.

Summarize Argument
The author concludes that there is no extraterrestrial intelligence in any neighboring star systems. She supports this by saying that, as far as we know, none of our transmitted messages have been recognized, and we haven't received any extraterrestrial messages.

Identify and Describe Flaw
This is the cookie-cutter fallacy of assuming that, just because there’s no evidence for something, that thing isn’t true or doesn’t exist. The author assumes that there isn’t any extraterrestrial life in neighboring star systems based only on the fact that there isn’t any evidence of it.

A
fails to provide an adequate definition of the word “messages”
The author doesn’t need to provide definitions of any of her terms in order to support her argument.
B
infers that there is no extraterrestrial intelligence in neighboring star systems from the lack of proof that there is
The author concludes that there is no extraterrestrial intelligence in neighboring star systems based only on the fact that there is no proof that there is. But just because there isn’t evidence for something doesn’t mean that the thing doesn’t exist.
C
assigns too little importance to the possibility that there is extraterrestrial intelligence beyond our neighboring star systems
The author’s conclusion is only about extraterrestrial intelligence in our neighboring star systems. She doesn’t need to address the possibility of it beyond our neighboring star systems because that’s outside the scope of her argument.
D
neglects to mention that some governments have sent meticulously prepared messages and recordings on spacecraft
This may be true, but it doesn’t affect the author’s argument. She never claims that television images are the only messages that have been transmitted to nearby star systems. Even if other messages have also been sent, it’s still true that we haven’t received any messages back.
E
overlooks the immense probability that most star systems are uninhabited
The author doesn’t overlook this probability. She concludes that nearby star systems are uninhabited.

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LSAT PrepTest 105 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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