| | Recent analysis of Eddington’s work revealed that he was biased in selecting his data, and that overall his data were inconclusive about the theory of relativity.<ref>https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0102462</ref> Modern techniques for analyzing data from experiments involve extremely careful statistical analysis of the data, and generally demands a "5 sigma" level of statistical certainty, which means that there is only a one-in-three-million chance that the measurements came out that way by chance rather than by the phenomenon being measured. | | Recent analysis of Eddington’s work revealed that he was biased in selecting his data, and that overall his data were inconclusive about the theory of relativity.<ref>https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0102462</ref> Modern techniques for analyzing data from experiments involve extremely careful statistical analysis of the data, and generally demands a "5 sigma" level of statistical certainty, which means that there is only a one-in-three-million chance that the measurements came out that way by chance rather than by the phenomenon being measured. |
| − | Eddington's observation protocol was somewhat muddled by an incorrect initial calculation, by several people including Einstein himself, of what the effect would be, and some "cherry picking" of the data to be used.<ref name="waller">''Einstein's Luck'', John Waller, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-860719-9</ref><ref>[https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0102462 Peter Coles (University of Nottingham, UK): ''"Einstein, Eddington and the 1919 Eclipse"'']</ref> The data selection could be considered "manipulation" or "fudging", by Eddington, who had a personal stake in the outcome. His analysis techniques would not pass muster today. Nevertheless, the deflection has been verified with ever-increasing precision in subsequent eclipses, and, with exquisite precision, in the observations of quasar 3C273. | + | Eddington's observation protocol was somewhat muddled by an incorrect initial calculation, by several people including Einstein himself, of what the effect would be, and some "cherry picking" of the data to be used.<ref name="waller">''Einstein's Luck'', John Waller, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-860719-9</ref><ref>[https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0102462 Peter Coles (University of Nottingham, UK): ''"Einstein, Eddington and the 1919 Eclipse"'']</ref> The data selection could be considered "manipulation" or "fudging", by Eddington, who had a personal stake in the outcome. His analysis techniques would not pass muster today. Promoters of the [[theory of relativity]] assert that the deflection has been verified with increasing precision in subsequent eclipses and in the observations of quasar 3C273, but such assertions are not really supported by data and candid scientific discussion of this appears muted. |
| | Politically motivated, Eddington wrote a letter to [[Albert Einstein]] afterward stating, "For scientific relations between England and Germany this is the best thing that could have happened." | | Politically motivated, Eddington wrote a letter to [[Albert Einstein]] afterward stating, "For scientific relations between England and Germany this is the best thing that could have happened." |