  The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) has measured lower amplitudes
for the temperature quadrupole and octopole anisotropies than expected in the
best fitting (concordance) Lambda-dominated cold dark matter cosmology. Some
authors have argued that this discrepancy may require new physics. Yet the
statistical significance of this result is not clear. Some authors have applied
frequentist arguments and claim that the discrepancy would occur by chance
about 1 time in 700 if the concordance model is correct. Other authors have
used Bayesian arguments to claim that the data show marginal evidence for new
physics. I investigate these confusing and apparently conflicting claims using
a frequentist analysis and a simplified Bayesian analysis. I conclude that the
WMAP results are consistent with the concordance Lambda CDM model.

Astrophysics