Come on... An even slightly charitable reading of parents' comment would realize that they don't mean "belief" in the religious sense.
It's pretty safe to assume they are asking what the previously understood and accepted academic stance on the matter was, and are asking how the findings of this paper differ in a way to make it newsworthy.
If he can't figure that out, i'd regret having asked that question because i dont feel like the other replies will be of better quality. Ignore the thread please, y'all.
I simply wasn't sure what to make of your comment. I probably shouldn't have assumed the worst in the face of ambiguity. The sentiment that science needs to be newsworthy wrt actual beliefs is omnipresent online, indicating (to me) a wrong canvas for your post.
It's pretty safe to assume they are asking what the previously understood and accepted academic stance on the matter was, and are asking how the findings of this paper differ in a way to make it newsworthy.