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As the joint meeting of the Royal Society and the Royal
Astronomical Society was dispersing [this was 6 November 1919,
when the results of the eclipse expedition that confirmed Einstein's
prediction of the bending of light by gravity were announced],
Ludwig Silberstein came up to him and said, "Professor Eddington,
you must be one of three persons in the world who understands
general relativity." On Eddington's demurring to this statement,
Silberstein responded, "Don't be modest, Eddington," and Eddington
replied that, "On the contrary, I am trying to think who the third
person is."
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