OE


Although the scientists may have all carried themselves in the same way, thus affecting a "combined demeanor" such a demeanor (A) would have no bearing on the scientists' predictions and makes little sense in the context of the sentence. The sentence, furthermore, gives us no reason to suspect the scientists of heresy (B). Even if they were all heretics, their heresy would have no bearing on their predictions or the events that followed the launch. Option C can be eliminated because it takes knowledge and critical thinking, not efficacy or efficiency, to predict events. The combined acumen (D), or expertise, of the scientists, however, should have enabled them to foresee problems and predict what came to pass, making D the correct answer. The callousness ( E ) of the scientists is not relevant to the remainder of the sentence. As we do not rely on callousness, but acumen, to make predictions, E must also be eliminated. Option D is the correct answer.