PT149.S2.P2.Q6

PrepTest 149 - Section 2 - Passage 2 - Question 6

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P1

In a typical Hollywood action movie, the hero skirts death to complete a mission. ███ ████ ██████ ████ ████████ ███████ ████ ████ ███ ████ ███ ███ ████ █████ ██ ███ ███ ██ █████ ██████ ████████ ████ █ ██████ ████████████ ███ ████ █████ ██ █████ ███ ███ ████ █████████

P2

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Analogy · Our universe resembles an action movie
In an action movie, one little change in events could kill the hero; in our universe, one little change in laws of physics could make life impossible
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Support analogy · E.g. of strong nuclear force
Small change in strong nuclear force would have major impacts
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Phenomenon · Ability of our universe to support life is improbable yet true
We could ask: if such a universe is so unlikely, how did it come to be?
P3

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Cosmologists' Hypothesis · Multiverse theory
Many universes, so better chances of at least one (ours) supporting life
P4

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Basis of cosmologists' hypothesis · Hard to identify alternative laws of physics that still support life
If it's hard to identify any other laws of physics that would support life, then a universe that does support life seems unlikely
P5

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Criticism · Basis of cosmologists' hypothesis is flawed
Conventional approach is to change only one known feature ("constant") of physics at a time, but this approach is flawed
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Author's hypothesis · Ability of our universe to support life is not actually improbable
Author's methodology suggests many different sets of physical laws could support life, so the ability to support life is not as unlikely as others think
P6

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Limit criticism · Multiverse theory not necessarily wrong
Even if a universe that supports life is more probable than cosmologists believed, there are still reasons to accept the multiverse theory
Passage Style
Critique or debate
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
Show answer
6.

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

Question Type
Main point

The author focuses on criticizing the view that the laws of physics are finely tuned. This view is what gives rise to the theory of the multiverse. The author doesn’t disagree with the multiverse theory, but argues that the laws of physics are not as finely tuned as other cosmologists believe.

a

Although the universe █████ ██████ █████ ███ ███ █████████ ██ █████ █████ ███ ██ ████ ████ ██ ████████ ████ ████ █████ ██ ██████████ ████ ████ ████ ████████ ████████

This best captures the main point, which is that the universe is not as finely tuned as some cosmologists think. The author focuses on criticizing the “fine-tuning” belief of these cosmologists (but does not disagree with the multiverse theory).

b

Although the multiverse ██████████ ███ █████████ ██ ███████ ███ ████████ ████ ██████ ██ ███ ████████ ████ ██ ███ █████████ ██ ███ ██ ██████ ███ ██████████ █████ █████ ██ ██████ ██ ██████████

Although the author states (B) at the end of the passage, this isn’t the main point, because it doesn’t capture the author’s criticism of the “fine tuning” view. The author believes the universe is not as fine tuned as cosmologists think it is.

c

When scientists have █████ ████████ ████████████ █████████ ██ ████████ ████████ █████ ████ ████ ████ ██████ ██ ████ █████████ ████ ██ ████ ████ ███ ██████████ ████ █████

Anti-supported. Because (C) is contradicted, it can’t be the main point.

d

The improbability of ████ █████████ ██ ███ ████████ ████████ ███ ████ ████ ███ ████████ ██ ████ ███ ██ ████ █████████ ██ █ ███████ ███████████

Anti-supported. Note that the part that is contradicted is the idea of the “improbability of life.” The author’s point is that life is not as improbable as scientists think. Because part of (D) is contradicted, it can’t be the main point.

e

The story of ███ ████████ █████████ ██ ██████ █████ ██ █████ ███████ ███ ██ ███ █████████████ ████ █████ ████ ███ ██████████ ████████████ ███ ███ █████████ ██ █████ ████ ███████

This doesn’t capture the author’s criticism of the “fine tuning” view. The author believes the universe is not as fine tuned as cosmologists think it is.

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