Self-study
P1
One of the foundations of scientific research is that an experimental result is credible only if it can be replicated—only if performing the experiment a second time leads to the same result. ███
Foundation of science ·
Experimental results are credible only if they are replicable
Replicable = doing experiment again leads to same result.
Problem ·
Somm. and Ott (S and O) came up with a new physical system
In this system, the tiniest change in starting conditions can change results radically. (What does this mean? Not sure.) This system can be represented by a computer model involving a particle's motion within a force field. (Not sure what this means either.)
P2
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Analogy ·
S and O's new system is similar to riddled basins of attraction
Definition of basin of attraction ·
Bodies of water have basins of attaction
The basin for a particular body of water = area of land where, whenever water is spilled on it, it goes toward that body of water.
P3
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Definition of riddled basins ·
Can't predict where water will flow for some points in between basins
The boundaries between these basins are riddled with physical irregulataries, which is why you can't tell where the water will flow. Need to spill the water at a point and observe. If you spill at any other point, even one right next to it, the water might flow toward a different body of water.
P4
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S and O's system ·
The riddled boundary expands to every single point
So, rather than just the boundary line between two bodies of water being riddled, every point in the whole system is riddled. You can't tell even the general destination of a particle from any starting point.
Distinction between S and O's system and chaos ·
In chaos, you can predict general destination, but not path or exact destination
In S and O's system, you can't predict any of the three things.
P5
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Implication of S and O's system ·
Other similar systems might exist, and if so, this would question the replication requirement
It's possible that some experiments can't be replicated because even the slightest, unnoticeable change in starting conditions leads to different results.
Passage Style
Problem-analysis
Single position
22.
Which one of the following ████ ██████████ █████████ ███ ████ █████ ██ ███ ████████
a
Sommerer and Ott's █████ ████████ ████ ████ ██ ███ ███████████ ████████████ ███████ ██ ███████ ███ ██████████ ███████ ████ ███ ████████████ ██ ███████ ██████ ██ ███████████
Not supported, because the author never suggests that Sommerer and Ott’s model calls into question “many of the fundamental experimental results of science.” Rather, if systems like that shown in their model exist, it’s possible that experiments that fail to replicate involve systems like Sommerer’s and Ott’s. Whether that many fundamental experimental results were obtained in systems like Sommerer’s and Ott’s is unknown.
b
Sommerer and Ott's █████ ████████ ████ ██████████ ███ ████ ██ █████████ ████████████ ███████ █████ ██ ███████ ██████ ████████ ███████ ████ ████ ███████████ █████████ ███████████
This best captures the main point. The author devotes most of the passage to describing Sommerer’s and Ott’s model to show that one of the foundations of science — that an experimental result is credible only if it can be replicated —
c
Sommerer and Ott's █████ ████████ ████ ████████████ ███████ ███ █████ ██ █████ ██████████ ███████ ███ ████████ ██████████ ██ ██ ██████████ ███ █████ ██ ██████████ ████████
This is too strong. The author never indicates that the model suggests experimental results can “never” be truly replicated. What it suggests is that when experiments fail to replicate, it might be due to a system that is like the one modeled by Sommerer and Ott.
d
Sommerer and Ott's █████ ████████ ████ ████ ██ ███ ████████ ███████ ███████ ██ ██████████ ███ ██ ████ ████████████ ████████ ██ ███████ ██████ ██ ███████████
Too strong. There’s no support for the claim that the model suggests “most” physical systems studied by scientists are like riddled basins of attraction. We have no idea what proportion of systems are like riddled basins of attraction.
e
Sommerer and Ott's █████ ████████ ████ ██ ████████████ ██████ ██████ ███ ██ ███████ ██ ████████ ██████ ████ ██████ ███ ██ ███████████
The requirement that an experiment be replicated in order to be credible is one of the foundations of science. Sommerer’s and Ott’s model suggests we might need to reexamine that foundation.