Experts can often be Sceptics and Wrong

There are several notable historical examples where a large number of scientists opposed an idea that later turned out to be true. Here are some instances:

The Theory of Special Relativity was put forward by Albert Einstein in 1905. It contained revolutionary ideas about light, energy and space-time. Many scientists rejected Einstein’s work for decades. In 1931 a book was published entitled, Hundred Authors against Einstein. Some 28 authors gave detailed reasons for their rejections of Einstein’s theory and a further 93 scientists supported them. They came from nine different countries including Germany, Switzerland and the USA. Einstein’s work is now seen as brilliant and accurate.

The Germ Theory of Disease was proposed by Ignaz Semmelweis, Louis Pasteur, and Robert Koch in the 19th century.  The prevailing belief was that diseases were caused by miasma or “bad air.” Semmelweis’ suggestion that handwashing could prevent the spread of puerperal fever was ridiculed and rejected by many in the medical community.  Pasteur and Koch’s work provided solid evidence for germ theory, leading to its acceptance and revolutionizing medicine.

Continental Drift was an idea put forward by Alfred Wegener in 1912. Most geologists rejected Wegener’s idea that continents drifted over time because he could not provide a convincing mechanism for how the continents moved. The theory of plate tectonics, developed in the 1960s, provided the mechanism that explained continental drift, leading to its acceptance.

The Big Bang Theory was proposed by: Georges Lemaître in the 1920s. Many scientists, including Albert Einstein, initially favoured a static universe model. The idea of an expanding universe originating from a singularity was controversial. Observational evidence, such as Edwin Hubble’s discovery of the expanding universe and the cosmic microwave background radiation, provided strong support for the Big Bang Theory.

The Meteorite Impact Hypothesis for Dinosaur Extinction was suggested by Luis Alvarez and his team in 1980. Many palaeontologists and geologists favoured volcanic activity, climate change, or other gradual processes as the cause of the dinosaurs’ extinction. The discovery of the Chicxulub crater and a layer of iridium around the world provided strong evidence for the impact hypothesis, which is now widely accepted.

These examples show how scientific progress often involves overcoming significant scepticism and opposition, eventually leading to the acceptance of revolutionary ideas.