Read the following passage and questions, then choose the right answer from options, the answer should be one of A, B, C, D.

<passage>:
Fiction May 1959. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that whatever to it. It's obviously utterly impossible ... isn't it? In the closing days of December, 1957, at the meeting of the American about about LATHAM. But some are valid? NIEMAND. A few. There is unquestionably a correlation between sunspots and disturbances of the Earth's magnetic field ... radio themselves are not the direct cause of the disturbances we have been a conspicuous symptom of the disease. Whereas the real cause is an suitable instrumental methods. It is extremely doubtful, however, if the world is the origin of human evil. Philosophers have wrestled with it despair, convinced that the origin of evil is too deep for the human flourished. Man at last seemed to be making progress toward some higher goal. Then suddenly— for no detectable reason LATHAM. But weren't there reasons? to war. They can't help themselves. They are impelled by forces over which they have no control. By forces outside of themselves. women and some men during the climacteric, but these people failed to sexes and of all ages. They came from all walks of life. The onset of their attack was invariably sudden and with scarcely any warning. They would be going about their work feeling perfectly all right. Then in a ten days later the attack would cease as mysteriously as it had come and LATHAM. Aren't such attacks characteristic of the stress and strain of modern life? NIEMAND. I'm afraid that old stress-and-strain theory has been badly anthropologists have made in recent years is the discovery that mountain tribes of the Elgonyi and the Aruntas of Australia. No, Mr. Latham, it's time the stress-and-strain theory was relegated to the junk pile along with demoniac possession and blood letting. LATHAM. You must have done something for your patients— NIEMAND. A doctor must always do something for the patients who come to his office seeking help. First I gave them a thorough physical examination. I turned up some minor ailments—a slight heart murmur or a inquiry into their personal life. Here again I drew a blank. They had no thing that seemed to be the matter with them was that there were times LATHAM. And this gave you a clue? attack struck with almost the impact of a physical blow. The prodromal symptoms were usually slight ... a sudden feeling of uneasiness and guilt ... hot and cold flashes ... dizziness ... double vision. Then this ghastly sense of depression coupled with a blind insensate rage at fear she would injure the children. I pored over these case histories for a long time getting absolutely nowhere. Then finally a pattern began to emerge. moment. At first I thought nothing of it but as my records accumulated I became convinced it could not be attributed to chance. A mathematical disturbed around the time of full moon, but a search of medical exact record of the onset of an attack. The better records they kept the more conclusive was the evidence. Men and women were experiencing nearly simultaneous attacks of rage and depression all over southern California, which was as far as my practice extended. One day it occurred to me: if people a few miles apart could be stricken simultaneously, why not people hundreds or thousands of miles apart? It was this idea that prompted me to get in touch with an old colleague of mine I had known at UC medical school, Dr. Max Hillyard, who was in practice in Utica, New York. LATHAM. With what result? NIEMAND. I was afraid the result would be that my old roommate would think I had gone completely crazy. Imagine my surprise and gratification on receiving an answer by return mail to the effect that he also had been getting an increasing number of patients suffering with the same identical symptoms as my own. Furthermore, upon exchanging records we did coast, for example, not earlier or later than five minutes of an attack subjective effect of this nature. And now another fact emerged which gave us another clue. had to be above the horizon at both places. A person might undergo an Conversely, a person might be stricken late in the afternoon in California without a corresponding attack in New York where the Sun had set. Dr. Hillyard and I had been searching desperately for a clue. We evidence pointing directly to the source of trouble. It must have some NIEMAND. It certainly did. It looked as if we were headed back to the was our only lead we had no other choice but to follow it regardless of the consequences. Here luck played somewhat of a part, for Hillyard happened to have a contact that proved invaluable to us. Several years before Hillyard had gotten to know a young astrophysicist, Henry Middletown, who had come to him suffering from a severe case of myositis in the arms and shoulders. Hillyard had been able to effect a complete cure for which the boy was very grateful, and they had kept up a desultory correspondence. Middletown was now specializing in radio astronomy at the government's new solar observatory on Turtle Back Mountain in Arizona. If it had not been for Middletown's help I'm afraid our investigation would never have gotten past the clinical stage. LATHAM. In what way was Middletown of assistance? completely ignorant of what was going on in another field. Someday we will have to establish a clearing house in science instead of keeping it in tight little compartments as we do at present. Well, Hillyard and I packed up for Arizona with considerable misgivings. We were afraid Middletown wouldn't take our findings seriously but somewhat to our surprise he heard our story with the closest attention. I guess astronomers have gotten so used to hearing from flying saucer enthusiasts and science-fiction addicts that nothing surprises them any more. When we had finished he asked to see our records. Hillyard had them all set down for easy numerical tabulation. Middletown went to work put a number from 1 to 10 that was a rough index of the number and highest index number did not fall at random on the chart. Instead they obvious. LATHAM. But how did you get onto the S-Regions? NIEMAND. Middletown was immediately struck by the resemblance between the chart of mental disturbance and one he had been plotting over the the chart of mental disturbance corresponded in a striking way with the started two days later on the average than the disturbances due to the radio telescope. Middletown had discovered them when he was a graduate student working on radio astronomy in Australia, and he had followed up his researches with the more powerful equipment at Turtle Back Mountain. The formation of an NIEMAND. We don't account for it. LATHAM. What other properties of the S-Regions have you discovered? NIEMAND. Middletown says that the radio waves emanating from them are strongly circularly polarized. Moreover, the sense of rotation remains LATHAM. Does this mean that the mental disturbances arise from some form forty-eight hours between the development of an S-Region and the onset of mental disturbance. This indicates that the malignant energy emanating from an S-Region consists of some highly penetrating form of [A] some LATHAM. Why were not the S-Regions discovered long ago? end of World War II. started its rise to maximum about 1954. NIEMAND. I'm afraid the only sure way is to keep on the unilluminated side of the Earth which is rather difficult to do. Apparently the sharply defined, since its effects are felt simultaneously over the entire continent. Hillyard and Middletown are working on some form of shielding device but so far without success. LATHAM. What is the present state of S-Region activity? cycle had the highest maximum of any since 1780, but the present cycle NIEMAND. That is the logical outcome of our investigation. We are afraid any warning system would be worse than useless. We would be unable to concentrate, if you feel suddenly depressed and discouraged about yourself, or are filled with resentment toward the world, then you may be pretty sure that an S-Region is passing across the face of the THE END [A] discovered from information derived from Explorer I and III has no

<question>:
Which decision was pivotal in moving the inquiry past the initial plateau?

<options>:
A Rethinking Shakespeare's quote from Julius Caesar
B Collaborating with Middletown
C Noticing the specific time frames of the attacks
D Reaching out to Hillyard

<answer>:

B