Comprehension
Deborah Mayo is a philosopher of science who has attempted to capture the implications of the new experimentalism in a philosophically rigorous way. Mayo focuses on the detailed way in which claims are validated by experiment, and is concerned with identifying just what claims are borne out and how. A key idea underlying her treatment is that a claim can only be said to be supported by experiment if the various ways in which the claim could be false have been investigated and eliminated. A claim can only be said to be borne out by experiment, and a severe test of a claim, as usefully construed by Mayo, must be such that the claim would be unlikely to pass it if it were false.
Her idea can be explained by some simple examples. Suppose Snell’s law of refraction of light is tested by some very rough experiments in which very large margins of error are attributed to the measurements of angles of incidence and refraction, and suppose that the re- sults are shown to be compatible with the law within those margins of error. Has the law been supported by experiments that have severely tested it? From Mayo’s perspective the answer s “no”, because, owing to the roughness of the measurements, the law of refraction would be quite likely to pass this test even if it were false and some other law differing not too much from Snell’s law were true. An exercise I carried out in my school-teaching days serves to drive this point home. My students had conducted some not very careful experiments to test Snell’s law. I there presented them with some alternative laws of refraction that had been suggested in antiquity and mediaeval times, prior to the discovery of Snell’s law, and invited the students to test them with the measurements they had used, to test Snell’s law; because of the wide margins of error they had attributed to their measurements, all of these alternative laws pass the test. This clearly brings out the point that the experiments in question did not constitute a severe test of Snell’s law. The law would have passed the test even if it were false and one of the historical alternatives true.
Question: 1

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the passage? \bigskip

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When evaluating conclusions in scientific reasoning, distinguish between necessary, sufficient, and both. The author's use of precise measurement as a definitive test implies both conditions.
Updated On: Jul 29, 2025
  • Precise measurement is a sufficient condition to ensure validity of conclusions resulting from an experiment.
  • Experimental data might support multiple theoretical explanations; same time, hence validity of theories needs to be tested further.
  • Precise measurement is both a necessary and sufficient condition to ensure validity of conclusions resulting from an experiment.
  • Precise measurement along with experimenter's knowledge of the theory underlying the experiment is sufficient to ensure the validity of conclusions drawn from experiments.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation


According to the passage, Mayo criticizes the reliance on measurements alone unless they undergo **severe testing**. However, she does affirm the importance of **precise measurement**. The example about the Snell’s law experiment shows that **precise measurement is required** and is used to filter out alternatives. Therefore, she considers **precise measurement necessary** for experimental conclusions. But she also uses it as a decisive criterion when accompanied by appropriate testing, implying **sufficiency** as well. \[ \boxed{\text{Precise measurement is both necessary and sufficient for valid experimental conclusions.}} \] \bigskip
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Question: 2

As per Mayo’s perspective, which of the following best defines the phrase “scientific explanation”? \bigskip

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Look for the author's philosophy — Mayo values durability under testing, not just initial verification.
Updated On: Jul 29, 2025
  • One which is not holistic in its explanation of natural phenomena.
  • One which survives examinations better than other explanations.
  • One which has been thoroughly tested by scientific experts.
  • One which refutes other explanations convincingly.
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation


Mayo emphasizes the idea that scientific claims should withstand severe testing and **be examined under alternative scenarios**. She clearly implies that scientific explanation is one that **continues to survive** against rigorous empirical checks and does better than rival explanations. \[ \boxed{\text{One which survives examinations better than other explanations.}} \] \bigskip
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Question: 3

The author’s use of Snell’s law of refraction to illustrate Mayo’s perspective can best be said to be: \bigskip

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Examples that explain or support a theory in the passage are best labeled “illustrative”.
Updated On: Jul 29, 2025
  • Contrived
  • Premeditated
  • Superfluous
  • Illustrative
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation


The author uses Snell’s law as an example to **demonstrate** Mayo’s point — that a theory or law must be tested against alternatives. The example helps clarify Mayo’s perspective and hence serves an **illustrative** purpose in the context of the passage. \[ \boxed{\text{Illustrative}} \] \bigskip
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