Response to Leahy's Comment on the Data's Indication of Cosmological Birefringence

Abstract

Recently, J. P. Leahy commented (astro-ph/9704285) on the indication of anisotropy in the propagation of radio waves over cosmological distances, published by Nodland and Ralston (B. Nodland and J. P. Ralston, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 3043 (1997); astro-ph/9704196). Unfortunately, Leahy ignores the need for a statistical comparison, egregiously selects data, compares incompatible measures, uses a variable incapable of resolving birefringence, and makes mistakes in the calculations he presents.