#5 - The most reliable way to detect the presence of life on a planet

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Weaken. The correct answer choice is (B).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[dshen123]

Complete Question Explanation

Weaken. The correct answer choice is (B).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

Can someone please explain to me why B is the right answer? Assuming only one organism has the ability to produce methane, we can still detect it since it's not completely eliminated from the atmosphere.

[Adam Tyson]

The author thinks methane detection is the most reliable way to detect life on a planet, dshen123, but what if the life on that planet is the kind that produces no methane? What it some planets are absolutely teeming with life, but none of it is the kind that makes methane? Then this method wouldn't be reliable at all!

Think of this one conditionally: the author is telling us that if there is methane, there must be life. That doesn't prove that if there is life, there must be methane! Answer B points out the implicit Mistaken Reversal underlying the argument. The author can't believe that this method is reliable unless they make that conditional error.