1:
Ignaz Semmelweis, who suggested that doctors should wash their hands, and who eliminated puerpal fever as a result, was fired, harassed, forced to move, had his career destroyed, and died in a mental institution at age 47. All this because he went against consensus science.
Ignaz Semmelweis, who suggested that doctors should wash their hands, and who eliminated puerpal fever as a result, was fired, harassed, forced to move, had his career destroyed, and died in a mental institution at age 47. All this because he went against consensus science.
2:
J Harlen Bretz, the geologist who documented the catastrophic Missoula floods, was ridiculed and humiliated by uniformitarian "elders" for 30 years before his ideas were accepted. All this because he went against consensus science. He was eventually awarded the Penrose Medal.
J Harlen Bretz, the geologist who documented the catastrophic Missoula floods, was ridiculed and humiliated by uniformitarian "elders" for 30 years before his ideas were accepted. All this because he went against consensus science. He was eventually awarded the Penrose Medal.
3:
Alfred Wegener, the geophysicist who first proposed continental drift, the basis of plate tectonics, was berated for over 40 years by mainstream geologists who organized to oppose him in favour of a trans-oceanic land bridge. All this because he went against consensus science.
Alfred Wegener, the geophysicist who first proposed continental drift, the basis of plate tectonics, was berated for over 40 years by mainstream geologists who organized to oppose him in favour of a trans-oceanic land bridge. All this because he went against consensus science.
4:
Aristarchus of Samos, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, brilliant minds and leaders in their field all supported the heliocentric model. They were at some point either ignored, derided, vilified, or jailed for their beliefs.
All this because they went against consensus science.
Aristarchus of Samos, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, brilliant minds and leaders in their field all supported the heliocentric model. They were at some point either ignored, derided, vilified, or jailed for their beliefs.
All this because they went against consensus science.
5:
Carl F. Gauss, discoverer of non-Euclidean geometry, self-censored his own work for 30 years for fear of ridicule, reprisal, and relegation. It did not become known until after his death. Similar published work was ridiculed.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Carl F. Gauss, discoverer of non-Euclidean geometry, self-censored his own work for 30 years for fear of ridicule, reprisal, and relegation. It did not become known until after his death. Similar published work was ridiculed.
All this because he went against consensus science.
6:
Hans Alfven, a Nobel plasma physicist, showed that electric currents operate at large scales in the cosmos. His work was considered unorthodox and is still rejected despite providing answers to many of cosmology's problems.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Hans Alfven, a Nobel plasma physicist, showed that electric currents operate at large scales in the cosmos. His work was considered unorthodox and is still rejected despite providing answers to many of cosmology's problems.
All this because he went against consensus science.
7:
Georg Cantor, creator of set theory in mathematics, was so fiercely attacked that he suffered long bouts of depression. He was called a charlatan and a corrupter of youth and his work was referred to as utter nonsense.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Georg Cantor, creator of set theory in mathematics, was so fiercely attacked that he suffered long bouts of depression. He was called a charlatan and a corrupter of youth and his work was referred to as utter nonsense.
All this because he went against consensus science.
8:
Kristian Birkeland, the man who explained the polar aurorae, had his views disputed and ridiculed as a fringe theory by mainstream scientists until fifty years after his death. He is thought by some to have committed suicide.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Kristian Birkeland, the man who explained the polar aurorae, had his views disputed and ridiculed as a fringe theory by mainstream scientists until fifty years after his death. He is thought by some to have committed suicide.
All this because he went against consensus science.
9:
Gregor Mendel, founder of genetics, whose seminal paper was criticized by the scientific community, was ignored for over 35 years. Most of the leading scientists simply failed to understand his obscure and innovative work.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Gregor Mendel, founder of genetics, whose seminal paper was criticized by the scientific community, was ignored for over 35 years. Most of the leading scientists simply failed to understand his obscure and innovative work.
All this because he went against consensus science.
10:
Michael Servetus discovered pulmonary circulation. As his work was deemed to be heretical, the inquisitors confiscated his property, arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and burned him at the stake atop a pyre of his own books.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Michael Servetus discovered pulmonary circulation. As his work was deemed to be heretical, the inquisitors confiscated his property, arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and burned him at the stake atop a pyre of his own books.
All this because he went against consensus science.
11.
Amedeo Avogadro's atomic-molecular theory was ignored by the scientific community, as was future similar work. It was confirmed four years after his death, yet it took fully one hundred years for his theory to be accepted.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Amedeo Avogadro's atomic-molecular theory was ignored by the scientific community, as was future similar work. It was confirmed four years after his death, yet it took fully one hundred years for his theory to be accepted.
All this because he went against consensus science.
12.
The Wrights, Orville and Wilbur, were openly scoffed at, insulted, and called such things as "The Lying Brothers" by Scientific American Magazine, "bluffeurs" by French newspapers, and even their fans were called "crazies."
All because they went against consensus science.
The Wrights, Orville and Wilbur, were openly scoffed at, insulted, and called such things as "The Lying Brothers" by Scientific American Magazine, "bluffeurs" by French newspapers, and even their fans were called "crazies."
All because they went against consensus science.
13.
Barry Marshall showed that ulcers are caused by helicobacter pylori. They're not caused by acid as all physicians once 'knew.' They resisted for 10 years and rejected publishing his work until he dosed himself and proved it.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Barry Marshall showed that ulcers are caused by helicobacter pylori. They're not caused by acid as all physicians once 'knew.' They resisted for 10 years and rejected publishing his work until he dosed himself and proved it.
All this because he went against consensus science.
14.
Josiah C. Nott said mosquitoes transmitted Yellow Fever and Malaria but was ignored for 50 years. Most deaths while building the Panama Canal could've been averted had his detractors not halted the eradication of mosquitoes.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Josiah C. Nott said mosquitoes transmitted Yellow Fever and Malaria but was ignored for 50 years. Most deaths while building the Panama Canal could've been averted had his detractors not halted the eradication of mosquitoes.
All this because he went against consensus science.
15.
Ludwig Boltzmann described atoms and molecules. The physics establishment thought energy, not matter, was the principle component of nature and that atoms and molecules were but theoretical constructs until years after his death.
All because he went against consensus science.
Ludwig Boltzmann described atoms and molecules. The physics establishment thought energy, not matter, was the principle component of nature and that atoms and molecules were but theoretical constructs until years after his death.
All because he went against consensus science.
16.
Julius Mayer postulated Conservation of Energy but lacked physics training so he was met with hostility and credit for his work went elsewhere. He attempted suicide and was committed to a mental institute exiting a broken man.
All because he went against consensus science.
Julius Mayer postulated Conservation of Energy but lacked physics training so he was met with hostility and credit for his work went elsewhere. He attempted suicide and was committed to a mental institute exiting a broken man.
All because he went against consensus science.
17.
Ernst Chladni proposed that meteorites came from the sky rather than from volcanoes. The scientific community considered this to be folklore and ridiculed the idea as superstition. Museums even destroyed their collections.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Ernst Chladni proposed that meteorites came from the sky rather than from volcanoes. The scientific community considered this to be folklore and ridiculed the idea as superstition. Museums even destroyed their collections.
All this because he went against consensus science.
18.
Robert Goddard, father of modern rocketry, was ridiculed by mainstream science and by the press for 49 years. Moon rockets were seen as foolish notions, so he referred to them as jets, hence NASA's Jet-Propulsion Laboratory.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Robert Goddard, father of modern rocketry, was ridiculed by mainstream science and by the press for 49 years. Moon rockets were seen as foolish notions, so he referred to them as jets, hence NASA's Jet-Propulsion Laboratory.
All this because he went against consensus science.
19.
Warren S. Warren found flaws in MRI theory but his colleagues, convinced he was wrong, warned him that his career would suffer. His university mocked his work and his funding dried up. It took 7 years for him to be vindicated.
All because he went against consensus science.
Warren S. Warren found flaws in MRI theory but his colleagues, convinced he was wrong, warned him that his career would suffer. His university mocked his work and his funding dried up. It took 7 years for him to be vindicated.
All because he went against consensus science.
20.
Georg Ohm's work was met with ridicule, dismissal, and was called "a tissue of naked fantasy." Coldly received, contiguous action opposed the then accepted concept of action at a distance. Decades passed before it was verified.
All because he went against consensus science.
Georg Ohm's work was met with ridicule, dismissal, and was called "a tissue of naked fantasy." Coldly received, contiguous action opposed the then accepted concept of action at a distance. Decades passed before it was verified.
All because he went against consensus science.
21.
Christian Doppler proposed the optical Doppler effect but was bitterly opposed. It contradicted the accepted view on the physics of luminiferous aether theory and was only deemed correct fifteen years after his death.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Christian Doppler proposed the optical Doppler effect but was bitterly opposed. It contradicted the accepted view on the physics of luminiferous aether theory and was only deemed correct fifteen years after his death.
All this because he went against consensus science.
22.
William Coley theorized that infections helped defeat cancer but most doctors wrote this off as crazy and dangerous and criticized his work. He died without ever knowing that he had invented modern cancer immunotherapy.
All this because he went against consensus science.
William Coley theorized that infections helped defeat cancer but most doctors wrote this off as crazy and dangerous and criticized his work. He died without ever knowing that he had invented modern cancer immunotherapy.
All this because he went against consensus science.
23.
Francis Peyton Rous' observation that viruses can carry cancer was widely discredited by most experts since he was a relative newcomer. Replication of his results was not even attempted. 50 years later, he won a Nobel prize.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Francis Peyton Rous' observation that viruses can carry cancer was widely discredited by most experts since he was a relative newcomer. Replication of his results was not even attempted. 50 years later, he won a Nobel prize.
All this because he went against consensus science.
24.
William Harvey described blood circulating from the heart not the liver as Galen did 1500 yrs before. Harvey was ridiculed; doctors said they would “rather err with Galen than proclaim truth with Harvey.” Harvey became a recluse.
All because he went against consensus science.
William Harvey described blood circulating from the heart not the liver as Galen did 1500 yrs before. Harvey was ridiculed; doctors said they would “rather err with Galen than proclaim truth with Harvey.” Harvey became a recluse.
All because he went against consensus science.
25.
Immanuel Velikovsky, the canonical example of a 'pseudoscientist,' was a victim of book-burnings in the 1950s. His theories and predictions were ignored or vigorously rejected by academia despite many of them being correct.
All this because he went against consensus science.
Immanuel Velikovsky, the canonical example of a 'pseudoscientist,' was a victim of book-burnings in the 1950s. His theories and predictions were ignored or vigorously rejected by academia despite many of them being correct.
All this because he went against consensus science.
26.
Nikola Tesla's instructor once said that the idea of a brushless AC motor was impossible. Tesla responded with a lifetime of doing the impossible.
He has 300 patents and died in poverty.
Tesla's place here is more about the funding that consensus can provide or take away.
Nikola Tesla's instructor once said that the idea of a brushless AC motor was impossible. Tesla responded with a lifetime of doing the impossible.
He has 300 patents and died in poverty.
Tesla's place here is more about the funding that consensus can provide or take away.
27.
Peter Ridd challenged views about the GBR citing reproducibility issues and recommending a new policy review body. His university (JCU) surveilled his emails, hid their own, disciplined him, and fired him. He sued them and won.
All because he went against consensus science.
Peter Ridd challenged views about the GBR citing reproducibility issues and recommending a new policy review body. His university (JCU) surveilled his emails, hid their own, disciplined him, and fired him. He sued them and won.
All because he went against consensus science.
28.
Phrenology, once considered "the only true science of mind," was used to explain such things as criminality & love, guide education & jobs, and condone racism. It can best be described as pseudoscience but was once considered to be consensus science and still exists today.
Phrenology, once considered "the only true science of mind," was used to explain such things as criminality & love, guide education & jobs, and condone racism. It can best be described as pseudoscience but was once considered to be consensus science and still exists today.
