LSAT 139 – Section 4 – Question 13

LSAT 139 - Section 4 - Question 13

June 2013

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Target time: 1:03

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT139 S4 Q13
+LR
Sufficient assumption +SA
Causal Reasoning +CausR
Link Assumption +LinkA
A
1%
150
B
1%
152
C
93%
165
D
0%
153
E
4%
155
138
144
151
 +Medium 148.326 +SubsectionMedium

J.Y.’s explanation

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Video of JY doing this

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The proposed change to the patent system is bound to have a chilling effect on scientific research. Under current rules, researchers have one full year after the initial publication of a new discovery to patent the discovery. This allows research results to be shared widely prior to the patent application. The proposed change would have the application precede initial publication, which would delay the communication of discoveries.

Summary
The author concludes that the proposed change to the patent system will have a chilling effect on scientific research. This is based on the following:
Under current rules, research results can be published prior to a patent application.
Under the proposed change, research results would not be published prior to a patent application. This delays communications of discoveries.

Missing Connection
The conclusion asserts that the proposed change will have a “chilling effect” on scientific research — in other words, research will be slowed. But the premises establish only that the proposed change will delay communication of discoveries. Does delayed communication slow scientific research? It sounds like a reasonable connection, but we just don’t know for sure. So we’re looking for an answer that establishes that if communications about discoveries are delayed, that has a chilling effect on scientific research.

A
The proposed change will encourage more patent applications to be filed.
(A) doesn’t establish that scientific research will be slowed by the proposed change to the patent system. We have no reason to hink that having more patent applications filed slows research.
B
Dramatic advances in scientific research have occurred while the current patent system has been in place.
(B) doesn’t establish that scientific research will be slowed by the proposed change to the patent system. The fact we’ve made dramatic advances under the current system doesn’t guarantee that under a different system advances will slow down.
C
Delays in the communication of discoveries will have a chilling effect on scientific research.
(C) gets us from the premises to the conclusion. We know from the premises that the proposed change will delay communication of discoveries. According to (C), then, this will lead to a chilling effect on scientific research.
D
Most researchers oppose the proposed change to the patent system.
What researchers think about the proposed change does nothing to establish that the change will slow down scientific research. (Don’t assume that if researchers oppose the change, that somehow implies the change slows research.)
E
The current rules for patent applications facilitate progress in scientific research by rewarding the communication of discoveries.
The fact current rules facilitate progress does not guarantee that a different set of rules will slow down research. Maybe the proposed change can lead to even faster research for reasons unrelated to rewarding communication of discoveries.

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LSAT PrepTest 139 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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