LSAT Question Explanation
PT 105, Section 4, Question 13
Identify the FlawArgument structure
There is no extraterrestrial intelligence in neighboring star systems.
We've transmitted images of ourselves that have reached all of our neighboring star systems, but haven't gotten a response
Explanation
Just because we haven't gotten a response doesn't mean extraterrestrial life isn't out there. Maybe they can't interpret our messages, or they don't have the technology to respond, or they just want to stay hidden.
This is a classic example of the flaw where someone uses a lack of evidence in favor of something to try to prove that thing doesn't exist/isn't true.
Answer choices
This isn't a problem with this argument. "Messages" in this case just indicates we're trying to communicate in some way with aliens.
Bingo. Lack of proof for aliens doesn't mean they definitely don't exist.
This is out of scope of the argument, which makes a conclusion only about our neighboring star systems.
Even if some messages other than television images have been sent, that doesn't change the fact that we haven't gotten a response.
This is irrelevant to the argument, not necessarily overlooked, and doesn't prove or disprove that there is no life in neighboring star systems. The flaw is that the author concluded aliens don't exist based on lack of evidence that they do.