Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Nov 2007:30 AM PST
-08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth
Nov 2001:30 PM EST
-02:30 PM IST
Learn how Kamakshi achieved a GMAT 675 with an impressive 96th %ile in Data Insights. Discover the unique methods and exam strategies that helped her excel in DI along with other sections for a balanced and high score.
Nov 1912:30 PM EST
-01:30 PM EST
Learn how Keshav, a Chartered Accountant, scored an impressive 705 on GMAT in just 30 days with GMATWhiz's expert guidance. In this video, he shares preparation tips and strategies that worked for him, including the mock, time management, and more
Nov 2211:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Do RC/MSR passages scare you? e-GMAT is conducting a masterclass to help you learn – Learn effective reading strategies Tackle difficult RC & MSR with confidence Excel in timed test environment- Nov 23
11:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Attend this free GMAT Algebra Webinar and learn how to master the most challenging Inequalities and Absolute Value problems with ease. 
Nov 2407:00 PM PST
-08:00 PM PST
Full-length FE mock with insightful analytics, weakness diagnosis, and video explanations!
Nov 2510:00 AM EST
-11:00 AM EST
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors.
09 Mar 2025, 10:25
Kudos
Bookmarks
E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
65%
(hard)
Question Stats:
54% (01:32) correct
46%
(01:42)
wrong
based on 84
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
A team of scientists on Mars has developed an advanced AI system to manage the colony’s oxygen supply. The AI continuously monitors oxygen levels and adjusts production accordingly. After a year, the colony reports a 20% reduction in oxygen waste. The scientists conclude that the AI has significantly improved oxygen efficiency.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the scientists’ conclusion?
(A) The colony’s population decreased by 15% over the same period due to a scheduled return mission to Earth.
(B) The AI system was designed to prioritize oxygen distribution to critical areas such as medical and research facilities.
(C) Some colonists have reported minor respiratory issues due to the AI adjusting oxygen levels more frequently than before.
(D) The AI’s algorithm was updated halfway through the year to account for seasonal changes in atmospheric pressure on Mars.
(E) Other Mars colonies that do not use AI also reported similar reductions in oxygen waste due to improved human management strategies.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the scientists’ conclusion?
(A) The colony’s population decreased by 15% over the same period due to a scheduled return mission to Earth.
(B) The AI system was designed to prioritize oxygen distribution to critical areas such as medical and research facilities.
(C) Some colonists have reported minor respiratory issues due to the AI adjusting oxygen levels more frequently than before.
(D) The AI’s algorithm was updated halfway through the year to account for seasonal changes in atmospheric pressure on Mars.
(E) Other Mars colonies that do not use AI also reported similar reductions in oxygen waste due to improved human management strategies.
Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Critical Reasoning (CR) Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block below for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
09 Mar 2025, 22:46
Kudos
Bookmarks
Well, Well this is indeed a tricky question but remember one thing hold to the conclusion and try to weaken it, It's tough to choose between A and E, but you can notice that in opt A it means that reduction in oxygen consumption is due to reduced population, but we don't know how much percentage of reduction can be attributed to the reduction in population... for e.g. the reduction in population may have contributed only 5% reduction in consumption and rest 15% may be due to the AI. But Option E directly refutes the conclusion by stating that it's not AI which has led to the reduction of consumption but improved human management strategies.
Answer: E
The correct answer is (E) Other Mars colonies that do not use AI also reported similar reductions in oxygen waste due to improved human management strategies.
Explanation:
The scientists' conclusion attributes the 20% reduction in oxygen waste to the AI system. Option E directly weakens this conclusion by showing that similar reductions occurred elsewhere without AI, suggesting that the improvement might be due to other factors (human management strategies) rather than the AI itself. This introduces an alternative explanation that breaks the causal link between the AI and the efficiency improvement.
Why each other option is incorrect:
(A) While a population decrease could explain reduced oxygen waste, this actually strengthens rather than weakens the conclusion. If population decreased by 15% but waste decreased by 20%, the AI still appears to have improved efficiency beyond what would be expected from population change alone.
(B) This describes a feature of the AI system but doesn't challenge whether the AI improved oxygen efficiency. In fact, prioritizing distribution to critical areas could be part of how the AI achieved the reported efficiency.
(C) This highlights a potential negative side effect of the AI system but doesn't question whether it actually reduced oxygen waste. The respiratory issues don't undermine the efficiency claim.
(D) The algorithm update strengthens rather than weakens the conclusion, as it shows the AI was being refined to better handle Mars conditions, which could explain how it achieved improved efficiency.
(E) is correct because it provides an alternative explanation for the 20% reduction in oxygen waste that doesn't involve the AI, thereby directly challenging the scientists' conclusion.
Answer: E
The correct answer is (E) Other Mars colonies that do not use AI also reported similar reductions in oxygen waste due to improved human management strategies.
Explanation:
The scientists' conclusion attributes the 20% reduction in oxygen waste to the AI system. Option E directly weakens this conclusion by showing that similar reductions occurred elsewhere without AI, suggesting that the improvement might be due to other factors (human management strategies) rather than the AI itself. This introduces an alternative explanation that breaks the causal link between the AI and the efficiency improvement.
Why each other option is incorrect:
(A) While a population decrease could explain reduced oxygen waste, this actually strengthens rather than weakens the conclusion. If population decreased by 15% but waste decreased by 20%, the AI still appears to have improved efficiency beyond what would be expected from population change alone.
(B) This describes a feature of the AI system but doesn't challenge whether the AI improved oxygen efficiency. In fact, prioritizing distribution to critical areas could be part of how the AI achieved the reported efficiency.
(C) This highlights a potential negative side effect of the AI system but doesn't question whether it actually reduced oxygen waste. The respiratory issues don't undermine the efficiency claim.
(D) The algorithm update strengthens rather than weakens the conclusion, as it shows the AI was being refined to better handle Mars conditions, which could explain how it achieved improved efficiency.
(E) is correct because it provides an alternative explanation for the 20% reduction in oxygen waste that doesn't involve the AI, thereby directly challenging the scientists' conclusion.
Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Critical Reasoning (CR) Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block above for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
Moderators:
189 posts
