Gentlemen,
Thank you all for such a great thread, so much useful information, and truly thoughtful examination of how our search for reliable, accurate data to evaluate our engine lubricants, and the usefulness of our present methods (UOA), may be enhanced and refined.
Some of the self-effacing, self-described as "less educated," have shown extraordinary insight into scientific methodology and research. My hat is off to you.
Yes, we do lack the ability to control the many variables involved in attempting to accurately ascertain the relative merits of different motor oils used in many different vehicles in many different parts of the world/climates. BUT, we do have a tremendous amount of raw data available to us thanks to this forum, the available tools of UOA and VOA, and the pooling of a phenomenal amount of talent, experience, knowledge and education--both formal and informal. Afterall, wasn't this the purpose of founding this forum in the first place? Kudos to all of the founders and participants of BITOG!!! It IS a resounding success!!!!
And, by carefully sifting through this data, recognizing the variables, listening to the considered input of the many experts here, we really can determine an awful lot of reliable information. All research involves variables, otherwise there would be no research, some of them may be better controlled than others. No experiment is perfect. Our task is to determine which variables are important and their relative influence. Our tools are the UOA and VOA. We need to segregate them as best we are able according to their operating conditions and continue to refine our interpretation of the data they yield. I firmly believe that the gold of knowledge and truth that we all seek is in the data we have, and will continue to collect. We just need to refine our sampling methods and continue to develop the analysis of the data.
But my head hurts from trying to assimilate, understand, interpret, etc., all of the information covered over the last three pages.
Thank you all, again.
