In her study of early marine navigation, historian Clara Vance argues that the development of the marine chronometer by John Harrison did not immediately revolutionize seafaring as is commonly assumed. Instead, she highlights that the adoption of the device was hindered by the high cost of production and the skepticism of the British Board of Longitude, which favored astronomical methods. To demonstrate this resistance, Vance details a series of letters from the Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne, who repeatedly questioned the reliability of Harrison's H4 timekeeper during sea trials in the 1760s. Consequently, most captains continued to rely on lunar distance calculations for several decades, using the chronometer only as a supplementary tool rather than a primary method of navigation.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
- AIt states the primary argument that Vance's study makes about the adoption of the marine chronometer.
- It introduces historical evidence to illustrate the institutional skepticism toward the new technology mentioned in the previous sentence.Cevap
- CIt explains the technical reasons why the Board of Longitude favored astronomical methods over the chronometer.
- DIt suggests that Nevil Maskelyne's opposition was motivated by personal rivalry rather than scientific concerns.