Which of the following can be inferred from the information in the passage?

The passage states that Heribert Illig proposed a "historical conspiracy theory" which was "widely rejected as flawed by historians." It also mentions that his theory "has since been refuted using astronomical records."

• Heribert Illig is a respected medieval historian. The passage states his theory was "widely rejected as flawed by historians" and "refuted," which implies he is not respected in this context, or at least his theory is not. This cannot be inferred.
• Historical figures living during the disputed years were fictitious. The theory posits that 300 years were fabricated, not that all figures within those years were fictitious. The passage doesn't provide enough information to infer this.
• Heribert Illig does not practice the Roman Catholic faith. The theory asserts that the Roman Catholic Church fabricated history, but this does not necessarily mean Illig does not practice that faith. It's an assumption not supported by the text.
• The phantom time hypothesis is not widely accepted today. The passage states it was "widely rejected as flawed by historians" and "has since been refuted." This strongly implies it is not widely accepted. This can be inferred.
• Heribert Illig presented no evidence to support his hypothesis. The passage says his theory "received coverage in the popular media at the time of its publication," which suggests he did present some form of evidence or argument, even if it was later refuted. The passage doesn't say he presented no evidence, only that his theory was flawed and refuted. This cannot be inferred.

Based on the analysis, the most direct and supported inference is that the phantom time hypothesis is not widely accepted today.

The correct inference is:

• The phantom time hypothesis is not widely accepted today.