Question

The author believes that parapsychology is nonsense because (Refer to Coming to Our Senses story for further assistance. Can be found online free.)
A. People are fascinated by mind readers (I know this is not the correct answer)
B. Scientists do not claim to have special powers
C. Some people profess to see or know things that others cannot
D. Experiments show that the claims of parapsychology cannot be supported

(Please choose between answer choices B, C, or D and provide valid reasoning regarding your choice. Thanks so much for your help!)

Answer 1

I assume that you are referring to Neil deGrasse Tyson's article. I would say the correct answer is B. Scientists do not claim to have special powers. Tyson argues that the only way we can really have an insight into the world around us is not through our five senses, much less through what parapsychologists call the sixth sense. It is through scientific analysis and apparatus that science has created - through the hardware - that we get to know precisely what happens around us. Our senses even hinder our knowledge, creating false impressions about the outside world. It is true that there is so much more in the world than we can see or hear; but parapsychology is not the way to assess the truth. Science is.

As for C and D options, here's why I think they are wrong. The fact that some people profess to hear and see things others cannot is not the central thesis of this article. It doesn't explain why parapsychology is nonsense; it just defines it. And Tyson doesn't refer to any particular experiments that have shown that parapsychology is nonsense.

Answer 2

In the article, the author - Neil de Grasse Tyson discusses parapsychology and writes that comparing it with real science is absurd because there is no way to support the sixth sense in humans. He notes that our senses are limited and scientific knowledge is needed to prove the theories. The correct answer is D.