Read the passage and answer the questions:
"Normal science, the activity in which most scientists inevitably spend almost all their time, is based on the assumption that the scientific community knows what the world is like. Scientists take great pains to defend that assumption, often restricting their vision to the phenomena that the existing paradigm has defined as relevant. When research proceeds in this fashion, findings tend to be incremental, reinforcing the established framework rather than challenging it. Yet, over time, anomalies—empirical observations that cannot be explained within the current paradigm—accumulate. Initially, these anomalies are dismissed as errors or as problems to be solved within the existing theoretical structure. However, as these anomalies grow in number and significance, they begin to erode confidence in the prevailing paradigm.
The resolution of such crises is not a straightforward process of falsification, as Popper might suggest, but rather a transformation in the very way scientists see the world. Scientific revolutions occur when a new paradigm emerges—one that is not merely an extension of the old but a fundamental reconceptualization of reality. This shift is not purely logical or empirical; it involves a radical change in perspective, akin to a gestalt switch. The Copernican Revolution, for example, did not merely adjust astronomical calculations; it redefined the very framework through which celestial motion was understood. Similarly, Einstein's theory of relativity did not just modify Newtonian mechanics but replaced its foundational assumptions about space and time.
According to the passage, why do scientific revolutions represent a rupture rather than a continuation of prior science?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
Because competing paradigms redefine questions and methods, making continuity impossible.
Explanation
To determine why scientific revolutions represent a rupture (a sharp break) rather than a continuation, analyze how the passage contrasts "normal science" with "scientific revolutions":
Normal Science (Continuation): The text states that normal science produces “incremental” findings that “reinforce the established framework rather than challenging it.”
Scientific Revolutions (Rupture): The text explicitly states that a new paradigm is “not merely an extension of the old but a fundamental reconceptualization of reality.” It involves a “radical change in perspective, akin to a gestalt switch.” Because it alters the very framework through which data is understood (as seen in the Copernican and Einsteinian examples), it fundamentally redefines how questions are asked and interpreted, preventing smooth, linear continuity.
Key Points
Elimination:
Options 1 and 4 are incorrect because the passage never suggests that scientists abandon objectivity, turn to speculation, or stop collecting empirical data.
Option 2 is too extreme; a new paradigm redefines the foundational assumptions and frameworks, but it does not mean it literally "invalidates all previous findings" (for instance, Einstein's equations still encompass Newtonian mechanics under low-gravity, low-speed conditions).
Exam Shortcut: Look for options containing keywords that mirror the text's emphasis on a structural reset. Words like "redefine" and "impossible continuity" perfectly match the passage's phrases “fundamental reconceptualization” and “radical change.”