Note that I was concurrently adding an update to my post as you posted this (though I think my update is orthogonal to your point here.) With regard to contemp

Note that I was concurrently adding an update to my post as you posted this (though I think my update is orthogonal to your point here.) With regard to contemporary attitudes to verification, we know that Eddington went to Principe to measure the magnitude of gravity’s effect on light specifically because it would be seen (and was) as strong confirmation of the theory.