| Yet it is axiomatic that there exist powerful groups of entrenched scientists that do oppose challenges to dogma without any semblance of due diligence. While many examples exist, two immediately come to mind- a researcher, Jim Allison, at my own institution who recently won a Nobel after decades of having the core tenets of his research marginalized. "When I first came to Berkeley in the 1990s, for example, they were in the midst of trying to redefine modern biology, and certain very powerful people there did not even want there to be a department of immunology. They felt that immunology was not a real discipline because it didn’t deal with the static, fundamental processes of biology that apply to everything." https://www.quantamagazine.org/nobel-laureate-james-p-alliso... Those "very powerful people" were, in point of fact, scientists. Barry Marshall faced years of ridicule for working to validate the hypothesis that many, if not most, cases of idiopathic gastric inflamation and lesions were a direct result of H. Pylori infection. Again, the hostililty from the entrenched scientific community was well-documented. He eventually won a Nobel as well. Many factors other than "science" have played a role in the spirited defense of dogma by experts. Researchers are as susceptible to all types of bias, logical fallacies, desire for power and money, etc. as anyone else. This clearly isn't always the case, but often enough that the moment someone says "...because I'm an expert therefore I say this is so." without supporting evidence that may be examined -and- debated, the veracity of their statement and motive in making it are suspect. |