The everyday behavior of whales

Answer choices

1. A

   Unrelated to Plan2% picked this

   Whales will often react aggressively in the presence of divers and submarines although aggressive behavior

   This has nothing to do with whether this sea lions + cameras play is feasible. The author's assumptions are only related to whether sea lions wearing cameras could feasibly allow us to record whale's everyday behavior.

   2%
2. B

   Correct82% picked this

   The behavior of the sea lions under human command will be within the range of sea lion behavior to

   Why this is right

   If we negate this, then we get our big objection: this is going to seem like novel stimuli to the whales! If the behavior of the sea lions (i.e. swimming along side the whales, rather than just chilling near rocky shores that whales pass by) is not behavior to which the whales are accustomed, then it will seem like novel stimuli to the whales, which will cause the whales to behave in unusual ways, which thwarts the goal of our plan: recording their everyday behavior. Another way to rephrase this answer: "the stuff we're going to make the sea lions do is all stuff the whales will consider normal; it's all stuff the whales are accustomed to; it won't seem like novel stimuli."

   Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   82%
3. C

   Not Necessary2% picked this

   The trained sea lions will not be aware that they are carrying video cameras

   The author hasn't indicated anything about the sea lions' awareness one way or the other, but this has the very lovable ruling-out "not" that's common in correct answers to Necessary Assumption. If we negate this, does it weaken the argument? If sea lions are aware that they're carrying video cameras, does that jeopardize the success of this plan? Who knows? It only messes up the plan if they're unwilling to wear it or if they're awareness of it makes them act in ways that whales consider "novel stimuli". But negating this answer doesn't tell us that, "If the sea lion is aware, they won't cooperate", nor does it tell us that, "If the sea lion is aware, the whales will consider it novel stimuli." So we'd be doing a lot of speculating to turn this negation into an objection.

   2%
4. D

   Irrelevant Comparison5% picked this

   Sea lions carrying video cameras will be able to film whales at a much closer

   The problem the sea lions are designed to solve isn't "how can we get closer to the whales". It's "how can we film the whales' everyday behavior? They start acting weird as soon as they sense novel stimuli." If we negate this and say, "actually divers can get as close (or closer) than sea lions", it wouldn't hurt the author's argument at all. He would just say, "Yeah, humans can get within a few feet of them, but so what. The whale acts so weird as a result that we're not getting good footage of their everyday behavior."

   5%
5. E

   Out of Scope: prefer10% picked this

   Whales prefer the presence of sea lions to that of either

   The causal difference-maker this Problem / Solution revolves around is not whether or not a whale prefers the presence of something; it's about whether not the present of something is normal vs. abnormal. Whales might prefer human divers to sea lions, but if that makes them behave in unusual ways (like showing off for their rad human friends), then we don't get to observe their everyday behavior.

   10%