In this paper I will discuss changes in the presentation of experimental results from the early 20th century to the present and their implications. Issues discussed will include: the use of statistics to justify an observation (the rise of the 5σ rule), the exclusion and selection of data, the presentation of the history of previous measurements, the possibility of experimenter bias, and the inclusion of personal comments. Examples will include Edwin Hall's discussions of "Do Falling Bodies Move South?," and the "discovery" of the Pentaquark.

Argonne Physics Division Colloquium Schedule