Summarize Argument
The author concludes car manufacturers will use fewer physical test crashes if simulations provide as much information about safety features as physical crashes. Why? Because running simulations is far cheaper.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes there’s no advantage to physical test crashes over simulated crashes that would outweigh the higher cost. In particular, this means assuming simulations would provide at least as much information not related to safety features as physical crashes and that fewer test crashes would be legally permitted.
A
Apart from information about safety features, actual test crashes provide very little information of importance to automobile manufacturers.
This makes concrete the author’s assumption that physical crashes provide no more non-safety information than simulated crashes. It means manufacturers wouldn’t lose out on other information by switching from physical crashes to simulated ones.
B
It is highly likely that within the next 20 years computer simulations of automobile crashes will be able to provide a greater amount of reliable information about the effectiveness of automobile safety features than can be provided by actual test crashes.
This supports future manufacturers using simulated crashes—not reducing the number of physical crashes. It doesn’t address the author’s assumption that there’s no advantage to physical crashes over simulated crashes.
C
If computer simulations will soon be able to provide more information about the effectiveness of automobile safety features, automobile manufacturers will soon be able to produce safer cars.
This suggests simulated crashes are useful, not that physical crashes are useless. It doesn’t address the author’s primary assumption—that there’s nothing manufacturers can get from physical crashes they can’t get from simulated crashes.
D
The cost per automobile of testing and designing safety features is decreasing and will continue to decrease for the foreseeable future.
This is irrelevant. It doesn’t suggest that cost considerations will become more significant in the future when deciding whether to conduct physical or simulated crashes.
E
For years, the aviation industry has been successfully using computer simulations of airplane crashes to test the effectiveness of safety features of airplane designs.
This is irrelevant. It suggests crash simulations are useful in an analogous field: aviation. It doesn’t say that either airplane or automobile manufacturers will run fewer physical test crashes if simulations improve.
Summary
A new computer system will only really increase an organization’s efficiency if the new system forces employees into more productive work habits. The Ministry of Transportation is getting a new system that accommodates its employees’ existing work habits. So, what can we conclude?
In Lawgic:
P1: new system improves efficiency → requires more productive work habits
P2: Ministry’s new system → /requires change in work habits
C: ?
In Lawgic:
P1: new system improves efficiency → requires more productive work habits
P2: Ministry’s new system → /requires change in work habits
C: ?
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Based on these facts, we can conclude that the Ministry’s new system does not force employees into more productive work habits. We can further conclude that it will not meaningfully increase the Ministry’s efficiency.
A
the new computer system will not increase the efficiency of the Ministry of Transportation to any appreciable degree
This is strongly supported. We know that to significantly increase efficiency, a new system must require employees to work more productively. The Ministry’s new system doesn’t require employees to change how they work at all, so it won’t significantly increase efficiency.
B
it is likely that the new computer system will not function correctly when it is first installed
This is not supported. The stimulus suggests nothing about how likely new computer systems are to work or not, so we can’t draw any conclusions about this.
C
the leaders of the Ministry of Transportation must not be concerned with the productivity of the ministry’s employees
This is not supported. The stimulus doesn’t inidcate anything about the intentions or concerns of the Ministry’s leadership, so we just can’t say.
D
the new computer system will be worthwhile if it automates many processes that are currently performed manually
This is not supported. The stimulus isn’t about whether computer systems are worthwhile, it’s about whether they increase efficiency. Because we don’t know what makes a system worthwhile, we cannot support this conclusion.
E
it will be easy for employees of the Ministry of Transportation to learn to use the new computer system
This is not supported. The stimulus doesn’t give us any information about how easily employees can learn to use a new computer system, so this would just be a baseless assumption.