Oh yeah, how about a few examples?
Fair enough. Sometimes, new science is quickly confirmed and rapidly embraced. For example, in 1986 after decades of modest improvements, Müller and Bednorz claimed to have discovered a new superconductor made of a ceramic, not a metal and which worked at a high temperature above which most theories thought possible. Within a few months of publication, a number of groups around the world confirmed their discovery. Within a year, more researchers expanded the field by doubling and then doubling the temperature again. The field of High Tc superconductivity was born. Conversely, in 1989 when Pons and Fleischman announced their remarkable Cold Fusion observations, hundred if not thousands of scientist tried to replicate their experiment. Most were unable to do so, and over the next few years in experiments more tightly controlled than in the original paper, the evidence melted away. Not out of academic jealousy or a “big oil”conspiracy, but for lack of proof. And finally, it took nearly 20
