Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, bool given in /var/www/html/web/app/themes/studypress-core-theme/template-parts/header/mobile-offcanvas.php on line 20

Many major scientific discoveries of the past were the product of serendipity, the chance discovery of valuable findings that investigators had not purposely sought. Now, however, scientific research tends to be so costly that investigators are heavily dependent on large grants to fund their research. Because such grants require investigators to provide the grant sponsors with clear projections of the outcome of the proposed research, investigators ignore anything that does not directly bear on the funded research. Therefore, under the prevailing circumstances, serendipity can no longer play a role in scientific discovery. Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? (A) Only findings that an investigator purposely seeks can directly bear on that investigator's research. (B) In the past few scientific investigators attempted to make clear predictions of the outcome of their research. (C) Dependence on large grants is preventing investigators from conducting the type of scientific research that those investigators would personally prefer. (D) All scientific investigators who provide grant sponsors with clear projections of the outcome of their research receive at least some of the grants for which they apply. (E) In general the most valuable scientific discoveries are the product of serendipity.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Option (A) is the assumption upon which the argument depends.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Argument

The argument states that due to the cost of modern scientific research, investigators rely on grants that require predefined outcomes, reducing the role of serendipity in discoveries.
02

Identifying the Conclusion

The conclusion asserts that under current circumstances, serendipity cannot play a role in scientific discovery.
03

Determining What Needs to be Assumed

Since the conclusion is about the lack of serendipity, we need to assume that only planned findings are considered relevant by investigators.
04

Evaluating Assumptions

Examine option (A): It suggests that only sought findings are directly relevant, supporting the argument's claim about reducing serendipity.
05

Choosing the Correct Option

Option (A) is necessary for the argument because it excludes findings not purposely sought from relevance, thus justifying the decrease in serendipitous discoveries.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Scientific Discoveries
Scientific discoveries often involve unraveling the secrets of the universe, finding new cures for diseases, or innovating breakthrough technologies. These discoveries are sometimes the result of meticulous planning and research, while at other times, they come unexpectedly. Historically, science has relied on both these aspects to push the boundaries of human knowledge. For instance, penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming by accident when he left a petri dish uncovered. This kind of accidental yet valuable finding is what we term as serendipity in science. Often, great discoveries not only serve the immediate purpose but also open new areas of inquiry, leading to further research and exploration. Understanding both planned and serendipitous discoveries allows us to appreciate the dynamic nature of scientific investigation.
Research Funding
Research funding is crucial in the modern scientific landscape. Conducting experiments and trials requires not only time but also significant financial resources. Most scientific research today needs backing from large institutions, governmental bodies, or private entities. These sponsors typically fund projects that promise tangible outcomes, given the competitive nature of acquiring grants. The process involves writing detailed proposals that outline the aim, methodology, and expected results of the proposed research. In many cases, due to limited funds, projects which do not offer immediate practical outcomes struggle to find support. The need for such detailed financial planning can unfortunately narrow the focus of researchers, as they often tailor their studies toward what is likely to be funded rather than purely curiosity-driven.
Serendipity in Science
Serendipity plays a fascinating role in scientific progress. It refers to the unexpected discoveries that researchers stumble upon while investigating unrelated topics. These chance findings have significantly contributed to some of the most impactful scientific breakthroughs. However, with increasing dependencies on specific outcomes for securing grants, researchers are less likely to deviate from their planned path, potentially stifling serendipitous finds. For example, the invention of the microwave oven was an accidental outcome of radar research. While modern science's focus is increasingly on goal-oriented research due to financial constraints, maintaining an element of openness in research could be instrumental in allowing unexpected discoveries to occur.
Grant Dependency
Grant dependency is now a pervasive element in academia and scientific research. As research costs escalate, reliance on grants becomes unavoidable. This dependency influences the research agenda, sometimes steering it away from pure scientific inquiry to more commercially viable projects. The necessity to meet the conditions set by grant providers can limit the exploration of offbeat or high-risk ideas that do not have guaranteed outcomes. Researchers may feel compelled to align their work with the specific interests of funding agencies to ensure continual support. Thus, while grants keep the research engine running, the constraints tied to them can deter researchers from following unanticipated leads that don’t fit the predefined scope, potentially missing out on serendipitous discoveries.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

One sure way you can tell how quickly a new ideafor example, the idea of "privatization" - is taking hold among the population is to monitor how fast the word or words expressing that particular idea are passing into common usage. Professional opinions of whether or not words can indeed be said to have passed into common usage are available from dictionary editors, who are vitally concerned with this question. The method described above for determining how quickly a new idea is taking hold relies on which one of the following assumptions? (A) Dictionary editors are not professionally interested in words that are only rarely used. (B) Dictionary editors have exact numerical criteria for telling when a word has passed into common usage. (C) For a new idea to take hold, dictionary editors have to include the relevant word or words in their dictionaries. (D) As a word passes into common usage, its meaning does not undergo any severe distortions in the process. (E) Words denoting new ideas tend to be used before the ideas denoted are understood.

In 1974 the speed limit on highways in the United States was reduced to 55 miles per hour in order to save fuel. In the first 12 months after the change, the rate of highway fatalities dropped 15 pereent, the sharpest one-year drop in history. Over the next 10 years, the fatality rate declined by another 25 percent. It follows that the 1974 reduction in the speed limit saved many lives. Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? (A) The 1974 fuel shortage cut driving sharply for more than a year. (B) There was no decline in the rate of highway fatalities during the twelfth year following the reduction in the speed limit. (C) Since 1974 automobile manufacturers have been required by law to install lifesaving equipment, such as seat belts, in all new cars. (D) The fatality rate in highway accidents involving motorists driving faster than 55 miles per hour is much higher than in highway accidents that do not involve motorists driving at such speeds. (E) Motorists are more likely to avoid accidents by matching their speed to that of the surrounding highway traffic than by driving at faster or slower speeds.

Mayor Smith, one of our few government officials with a record of outspoken, informed, and consistent opposition to nuclear power plant construction projects, has now declared herself in favor of building the nuclear power plant at Littletown. If someone with her past antinuclear record now favors building this power plant, then there is good reason to believe that it will be safe and therefore should be built. The argument is vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? (A) It overlooks the possibility that not all those who fail to speak out on issues of nuclear power are necessarily opposed to it. (B) It assumes without warrant that the qualities enabling a person to be elected to public office confer on that person a grasp of the scientific principles on which technical decisions are based. (C) It fails to establish that a consistent and outspoken opposition is necessarily an informed opposition. (D) It leads to the further but unacceptable conclusion that any project favored by Mayor Smith should be sanctioned simply on the basis of her having spoken out in favor of it. (E) It gives no indication of either the basis of Mayor Smith's former opposition to nuclear power plant construction or the reasons for her support for the Littletown project.

Editorial: It is clear that if this country's universities were living up to both their moral and their intellectual responsibilities, the best-selling publications in most university bookstores would not be frivolous ones like TV Today and Gossip Review. However, in most university bookstores the only publication that sells better than Gossip Review is TV Today. If the statements in the editorial are true, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of them? (A) People who purchase publications that are devoted primarily to gossip or to television programming are intellectually irresponsible. (B) It is irresponsible for university bookstores to carry publications such as Gossip Review and TV Today. (C) Most people who purchase publications at university bookstores purchase either TV Today or Gossip Review. (D) Many people who attend this country's universities fail to live up to both their moral and their intellectual responsibilities. (E) At least some of this country's universities are not meeting their moral responsibilities or their intellectual responsibilities or both.

Eight years ago hunting was banned in Greenfield County on the grounds that hunting endangers public safety. Now the deer population in the county is six times what it was before the ban. Deer are invading residential areas, damaging property and causing motor vehicle accidents that result in serious injury to motorists. Since there were never any hunting-related injuries in the county, clearly the ban was not only unnecessary but has created a danger to public safety that would not otherwise exist. Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest additional support for the conclusion above? (A) In surrounding counties, where hunting is permitted, the size of the deer population has not increased in the last eight years. (B) Motor vehicle accidents involving deer often result in damage to the vehicle, injury to the motorist, or both. (C) When deer populations increase beyond optimal size, disease and malnutrition become more widespread among the deer herds. (D) In residential areas in the county, many residents provide food and salt for deer. (E) Deer can cause extensive damage to ornamental shrubs and trees by chewing on twigs and saplings.

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on English Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free