[laaph]

> I write this to point out that, in the US, people will treat any crank seriously if he has enough money or enough prowess in another field.

I once attended a lecture given by Donald Knuth on the topic of a verse in the bible. The first thing that he said was "I'm not sure why people would come to a computer scientist for his thoughts on religion".

The celebrity effect is real; by being a celebrity you can venture in to worlds you know nothing about and people will take you seriously.

I know why I went to see Donald Knuth that day, and I got to hear his reviews on his religious life. Even though I recognized him for his work in comp sci I still listened to him. (Not that I will accuse him of not knowing what he was talking about, I'm the one unfamiliar with that topic.)