#9 - Laird: Pure research provides us with new technologies

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Point at Issue. The correct answer choice is (D)

In this stimulus the two speakers disagree about the most important outcome of pure research. Laird believes that it's all about expanding knowledge, whereas Kim believes that the most important result is that of saving lives.

Answer choice (A): Laird believes that pure research does derive such significance, but Kim does not comment on the issue.

Answer choice (B): Both speakers agree that pure research has such application, so this cannot be the correct answer choice for this point at issue question.

Answer choice (C): Like incorrect answer choice (B) above, this choice cannot be the correct answer, because both speakers agree that this is an important goal (though they disagree over whether it's the most important).

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. Kim believes that pure research does have its most valuable achievement in medical applications, while Laird believes that the most valuable achievement is the expansion of our knowledge.

Answer choice (E): Kim only comments that Laird's priorities are mistaken, they apparently both believe that there are other such applications of pure research.

[Sophia123]

Hi!

I was a little stuck between answer choices (D) and (E) on this question. After applying the agree/disagree test to these two contenders, I was still stumped.

I see how D is the correct answer choice, but for E I thought Laird would say "Yes, pure research does have value beyond technology to save lives - expanding knowledge provides that value" whereas Kim would say "No, pure research does not have any value beyond its role of saving lives"

I think "value" is the word I am having the most trouble with here. In the explanation above, the answer choice is explained as an "application" rather than as "value". I can see how both speakers would agree that there is further "application" but I do not think that they would both agree that there is further "value". I would appreciate any guidance on this confusion!

Thank you in advance!

-Sophia

[Francis O'Rourke]

Hi Sophia,

'Value' is a rather broad concept on this test test. The administrator explained value in this context as an 'application.' That is correct, but you can also think of value as a 'positive,' or a 'benefit' when you come across it again.

Does Kim think that pure research has any benefit or positive, besides saving lives? You seem to be assuming that because Kim never stated any other values for pure research, then she must not think it has any other value. This is a big mistake that you need to avoid. Just because Kim says that saving lives is the most important value or benefit, that doesn't mean that she thinks it is the only benefit.

[Tuothekhazar]

Hi Sophia,

'Value' is a rather broad concept on this test test. The administrator explained value in this context as an 'application.' That is correct, but you can also think of value as a 'positive,' or a 'benefit' when you come across it again.

Does Kim think that pure research has any benefit or positive, besides saving lives? You seem to be assuming that because Kim never stated any other values for pure research, then she must not think it has any other value. This is a big mistake that you need to avoid. Just because Kim says that saving lives is the most important value or benefit, that doesn't mean that she thinks it is the only benefit.

If Reason offered could be perfectly explained why A can be eliminated right away, is it because of the phrase " In part " ?


I can see why D can be the best answer after realizing that the Medical Knowledge expanded, and new & unexplored medical idea provided is not necessary account for what Laird refers 2. Since Laird can discuss 10,000 kinds of the knowledges and ideas, but not only limit to those in medical field. If that's the case, D can be the best answer.

[Jeremy Press]

Hi Tuo,

We do have evidence from the stimulus that Laird agrees with answer choice A. This comes from Laird's assertion that pure research "provides us with new technologies that contribute to saving lives," which indicates Laird believes that at least part of the pure research's significance comes from providing new technologies. The problem with answer choice A, though, is that, although Kim talks about saving lives, she doesn't comment specifically on "new technologies." So we don't have any evidence for Kim's agreement (or disagreement) with answer choice A. That's enough to knock it out! If anything, though, Kim would agree with answer choice A, because she thinks saving lives (which presumably results from the new technologies pure research provides) is in fact part (a big part!) of the significance of pure research.

With answer choice D, we know that Laird thinks pure research's "role in expanding our knowledge and providing new, unexplored ideas" is more important than its role in saving lives (in medical applications), thus disagreeing with answer choice D. And we also know that Kim thinks "(s)aving lives is what counts most of all," so she agrees with answer choice D that the most valuable achievements of pure research are those medical applications that allow for saving lives.

I hope this helps!

[mhlsat]

Hi there! My issue is that how are we so sure that when Laird talks about research "expanding our knowledge and providing new, unexplored ideas" he isn't including the field of medicine? His supporting point is very general and it could be a applied to various field including medicine for all we know.

[Jeff Wren]

Hi mhlsat,

The key to selecting Answer D are the words "medical applications." The word "application" has a number of different definitions, but one of them is "practical use or relevance," which is probably the closest definition to how it is being used in the answer choice.

In other words, "medical applications" isn't just referring to the field of medicine in its entirety, but specifically to the practical use of medicine, which could be thought of as saving lives, improving people's health, curing diseases, healing, etc..

For Laird, while those practical applications of medicine are all well and good, he believes that expanding our knowledge and providing new, unexplored ideas is even more important regardless of their actual practical medical application. So Laird isn't ruling out the field of medicine or any field of pure research, he is just prioritizing the "theory" and the "ideas" for their own sake over any practical results that may come from them.

Needless to say, Kim disagrees and cares most about the practical applications of the research that actually save lives.

[schocktherapy]

The fact that Kim says that ‘the most important’ thing is saving lives already implies that there are less important things. Whenever somebody uses a superlative like that logically and implicitly they are telling you there is a hierarchy. I think that's what the test designers were trying to hint at. Otherwise Kim would just say the only thing that matters is saving lives. I try to notice keywords/phrases like this to help me speed up my time because time has been a issue for me.


~Cheers
Hope this helps someone