It was a wager for money. The experiment is invalid for that reason alone. End of story.
Correlation does not equal causation, Tom. There were checks in place to deal with this source of bias.
Both Hampden and Wallace had referees. Their referees looked into the telescope and sided with their clients.
Actually Hampden's referee signed off on a picture demonstrating that the middle marker was higher than the outside markers, indicated the Earth is round.
The experiment is out the window because it was a wager. It is not really permissible as evidence to either side of the argument.
So then I assume you will amend the wiki to say as much, in the interest of completeness? Also, the wiki should be amended because it says that Wallace cheated, which is patently untrue. He was forced to give the winnings back because those types of wagers were not permitted and nothing to do with cheating.
They will not change it. I have pointed it in the past and showed where they can read the court transcripts. Similar to the Bishop Experiment having an error in the stated distance of 10 miles.
"Throughout the years it has become a duty of each Flat Earth Society member, to meet the common round earther in the open, avowed, and unyielding rebellion; to declare that his reign of error and confusion is over; and that henceforth, like a falling dynasty, he must shrink and disappear,
leaving the throne and the kingdom of science and philosophy to those awakening intellects whose numbers are constantly increasing, and whose march is rapid and irresistible.
The soldiers of truth and reason of the Flat Earth Society have drawn the sword, and ere another generation has been educated and grown to maturity, will have forced the usurpers to abdicate. Like the decayed and crumbling trees of an ancient forest, rent and shattered by wind and storm, the hypothetical philosophies,
which have hitherto cumbered the civilized world, are
unable to resist the elements of experimental and logical criticism; and sooner or later must succumb to their assaults. The axe is uplifted for a final stroke - it is about to fall upon the primitive sphere of the earth, and the blow will surely "cut the cumberer down!"
Seems if that above does really happen what the people on the throne and part of the kingdom of science say should not be trusted.
These soldiers of truth, I guess means the truth that is not always right or correct and may be fudged a little if it supports their belief.
I guess the elements of experimental and logical criticism include misrepresenting distances and other things.
Funny how I see FE's say science is lies, yet I can find rather easy to verify evidence that there wiki at the very least seems an attempt to mislead people.