Expert Opinion Isn’t What Matters the Most in Science

James Meigs in Commentary Magazine:

In the 1980s, Australian medical researcher Barry Marshall believed ulcers were caused by a bacterial infection, an idea most experts found laughable. Unable to get his research published, Marshall finally drank a broth containing the suspect bacteria, developed a raging case of gastritis, and proved his point. Marshall and his partner received the Nobel Prize, and since then millions of ulcer sufferers have found relief through antibiotics.