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Character: Arthur Stanley Eddington
Series/Fandom: Einstein and Eddington
Deviance: D1
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Species: Human(Englishman to be exact)
Canon Used: Einstein and Eddington drama, as well as some of the history from the scientist the character is based on.
Appearance: Arthur is tall, long limbed and somewhat lanky. He’s often dressed in a light-colored suit, looking very proper. His brown hair is short, falling just above dark-brown eyes and always neatly combed. He’s never quite cleanly shaven, the slightest hint of stubble always showing on pale skin. Arthur also wears small, round glasses which seem to stay, more often than not, at the bridge of his nose.
Psychology: Arthur has what you would call a calm confidence about him. He’s extremely kind, both by nature and thanks to his upbringing as a Quaker, and is a pacifist through and through. This doesn’t mean, however, that he will simply stand aside and allow fights to happen; he will intervene, but never actually throw a punch back himself. He has a sharp wit and a good sense of humor, making it easy for Arthur to hold his own in verbal arguments without having to resort to yelling. Most of the time he’s demeanor is quite and thoughtful, but there are times when he will let his emotions get the best of him; mostly when something hits a little too close to home.
Despite the astronomer’s ability to understand complex mathematical concepts, it is surprisingly easy for him to explain these in ways which your average person will be able to understand. Though he does his best to be on time and punctual, there are instances where he will be absorbed so deeply in his work that he loses track of everything but that which he is focusing on. He believes in equality, and is against discrimination based on race, gender, or nationality. While he is a very devoted Englishman, and loves his country very much, he believes that the scientific pursuit of knowledge extends beyond that.
Arthur’s belief in science is only rivaled by his belief in God; there is no confliction between them in his mind. He is not among those that believe in using science to define God. To him, science and mathematics are a way of describing and making sense of the universe, giving seemingly random events purpose and meaning. After the pursuit of truth reaches its end, that which is left unexplained is what God is responsible for.
In his pocket, carried with him at almost all times, there is a small, golden pocket watch which was given to him by William; when he is deep in thought, lost, or simply struggling to make sense of things, Arthur can often be seen with it in hand, fingers brushing its face almost delicately. He tends to do this only when alone, however; the times that he pulls out the watch in front of others, it is to simply check the time, nothing more.
Arthur believes, almost above anything else, in numbers. His approach to science is a practical one, rooted in measurements and equations, rather than theoretical.
Other Skills/Abilities: Arthur is a brilliant mathematician and scientist, excelling particularly in astronomy, as well as being well-versed in English. He also seems to have considerable strength in his lower body, able to keep up and ride alongside a train for several moments. His endurance, too, is particularly high.
Other Weaknesses: He seems to bruise easily, gaining a bloody nose from a simple punch, and seems inept at keeping proper track of time when work is involved. He is also a Quaker, which means that he will never retaliate physically to someone’s actions, even if they are intent on hurting him.
History: Arthur Eddington is the son of Arthur Henry Eddington and Ann Shout, both devout Quakers. His father died just before Arthur turned two, leaving his mother to bring up both him and his sister Winifred with a relatively short income. After spending three years in preparatory school, he began attending Brynmelyn School in 1893, where he excelled at both mathematics and English. At the age of 16, he was able to attend Owens college on a scholarship.
He spent his first year there on a general course, but soon turned to physics, which he continued to study for the next three years. Arthur’s love of mathematics and numbers was greatly influenced by a professor there called Arthur Schuster, his love of physics growing alongside it thanks to Horace Lamb. Arthur’s love of numbers remained a constant for the rest of his life, thought it wasn’t until much later that his love of astronomy joined it. He graduated in 1902 with honors and was awarded another scholarship, this time to the University of Cambridge. He was there until 1905, having studied and been influenced by a distinguished mathematician named R.A. Herman before finally graduating in 1905.
Though he taught math to first year students for a brief period, he was discontent and soon joined the Royal Astronomical society. It was during 1914, at 31 years of age, that he was appointed Chief Astronomer at Cambridge and commissioned by Lodge to study the work of a German scientist named Albert Einstein. Europe was currently in the midst of World War I, and the University wanted to know why the Germans were so interested in this little-known scientist. It’s around this time that he finds out that William, a good friend to whom he is very close to, is going off to war.
It’s during one of their regular bike trips that he discovers that this is because William understands that Arthur’s religion is against any sort of fighting, and he did not want to lose his friends by letting him know. Realizing that this might be one of his last chances to see him, Arthur makes up his mind to confess something to William. But he is unable to go through with it, finding himself at a loss for words at the last minute. Assuming that it is again about the fact that he will be fighting in the war, he is handed a small golden pocket watch as a sign of their friendship, before William rides off.
Arthur spends his time studying the one paper he was able to check out from the Universities Library, a document that is now nine years old. He loses himself in Einstein’s formulas, and doesn’t realize he has to go to meet William before his train leaves until it’s nearly two o’clock. Managing to arrive at the station before it departs, he runs into Lodge and is held up until the last second. Watching his friend mount the train, he quickly grabs his bike and begins riding alongside it, desperate to not let his friend leave without one last goodbye. He manages to catch up with the cart in which William is seated by the window, but the young man never turns his way. Eventually Arthur is forced to stop, watching by the side of the road as the train rides off. Later that day, he gives his lecture on Einstein to the board, and they seem to come to the conclusion that this man is nothing important.
Arthur, however, is convinced that there’s something there. He continues to study Einstein’s formula, becoming engrossed in his work despite the ban on German work in the University. One day, on his way home from the University, he ends up taking in a German family who was being harassed by xenophobes, earning himself a bloody nose in the process. With their help, he writes a letter to Einstein describing how Newton’s law miscalculated Mercury’s orbit and inquiring to him about the problem. Soon enough, he receives a letter in return with new calculations, ones that agree with Mercury’s orbit where Newton’s does not. On his way to inform Lodge, he receives news of William’s death in the battle field during Second Battle of Ypres, along with 15 thousand other soldiers. Devastated, he returns home and begins to grieve, confessing to his sister that he loved William; his friend’s death causes a waver in Arthur’s faith.
Yet he still argues when it is decided that all German scientists are to be expulsed from Cambridge, unable to admit to Lodge, who has lost his son, that he too is grieving for one he loves. Later on, Arthur receives a letter from Einstein regarding his theory of relativity. He figures out a way to prove it; photograph the stars during the upcoming solar eclipse, and compare their positions to photos taken of them during the night. He presents his idea to the University, and in the end manages to convince Lodge to fund their expedition to Africa on May, 1919. Once there, Eddington is faced with a new problem; it is raining constantly, and if both the rain and clouds don’t clear up by noon, it will be too foggy to take proper pictures during the eclipse.
Fast-forward to the next morning, when the storm has cleared but the clouds remain. Somewhat stubbornly, Arthur still sets up the telescope, and it is not until moments before the eclipse actually occurs that the clouds clear. Out of eight photos taken, two are clear enough to form a comparison. Returning to the University, Arthur decides to give a conference in order to compare the two photos, so that those that want to may be witness. He sets up the plates, and finds that there is, indeed, a small space between the stars in the two photos; Einstein has been proven right. In this experience, Arthur finds his faith in god restored. News gets out of the results and Einstein becomes famous overnight; one year later, he and Arthur meet for the first time, shaking hands in the hall of the University.
It’s now been a few months since meeting Einstein, and Eddington is now working on a new theory regarding the way stars keep themselves from imploding despite gravity.
Reality Description:
Arthur currently lives in Manchester, England in 1920. He continues to work in Cambridge’s astronomy department and live in the house he shares with his sister, Winifred. Einstein’s theory of relativity is already beginning to catch on in the field of science, but to date they are the only two that seem to have full understanding of it. While still keeping in contact with him, Arthur has begun to work on his own theories. Although now actual fighting took place in England, some of the surrounding area was ravaged by bombs during air raids.
Winifred, for the moment, is currently out aiding the reconstruction effort in Germany once again; they still keep in touch through letters.