PrepTest 128 - Section 1 - Passage 4 - Question 28

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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.)

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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28.

Which one of the following ██ ████ ███████ ███ ██ ███ █████████████ ████████ ██ ███████ ██████ ██ ███████████ █████████ ██ ███ ██████ ██ ███ ████ ██████████

Question Type

Application

Based on P4, a metaphorical example of a riddled basin of attraction will be one in which the entire area is riddled with fractal properties, and it’s impossible to predict the general destination of a particle at any starting point.

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Not an example, because we wouldn’t know that starting conditions “are in fact exactly the same” in a system like Sommerer and Ott’s. Even undetectable changes in starting conditions can produce dramatically different results.

20%

A scientist is ██████ ██ █████████ ██ ██████ ███████ █████████ ████ ██████ ██ █ ██████████ ████████ ████████ ███████ ███ ████████ ██████ ██ ████████████ ██████████ █████ ██ ██ ██████████ ██ █████ █████ ████████ ██████████ ████ ███ ██ ████ ███████ ███ ████ ██ ████ ███████████

This is the best answer. (B) involves a situation in which we can’t bring about the exact same starting conditions. This is exactly what we’d expect to happen if we’re in a system where even undetectable changes can alter results dramatically.

48%

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“Even approximately” is what makes this answer wrong. Although in Sommerer and Ott’s system, we cannot be sure that our starting conditions don’t have a small, undetectable difference, this doesn’t mean we can’t be sure that the starting conditions are generally about the same.

18%

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Not an example, because in Sommerer and Ott’s system, we wouldn’t be able to get the same results every time. The results would be radically different based on even tiny, undetectable changes in starting conditions.

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PrepTest 128 - Section 1 - Passage 4 - Question 28

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