[dogma1138]

Credentials do matter to some extent or at least actually following the scientific method.

But overall there has been quite a big regression since SETI has pretty much failed to capture anything of even remote interest.

Loeb isn’t Sagan but the fact that you can’t even get funding for simple missions like looking for technological markers in the atmosphere of exoplanet does seem to indicate that there is a lot of stigma these days against anything related to searching for intelligent life.

[jjeaff]

Credentials can help filter out a lot of garbage. For example, some podcast bro spouts something about vaccines that goes against the prevailing wisdom, I'll mostly ignore it. If an ER doc from the University of Barbados says something, I'll probably give it some time and effort. If an immunologist from the mayo clinic says something, I'm going to really give it some serious thought and time researching it.

I wouldn't discount something purely on lack of prestige and education, but you have to be able to filter some based on credentials or you'll spend all your time fact checking things like whether the Sandy Hook school shooting was all faked or whether 9/11 was an inside job or if the government is using 5g to give us all COVID so they can use the vaccine to implant tracking chips in everyone.