So, I cut science a lot of slack and I don't laugh when I find out that volcanic plumes haven't been detected, and don't actually exist -- although I've been taught about these things for almost 50 years.
What annoys me is when so-called "scientists" harangue me and call me ignorant because I believe things which they laugh at and they demand that I "prove" the things I believe.
Science is pretty much a religion. It depends a lot on faith. That doesn't mean it's wrong, and doesn't me it's bad. But it's not real different from my religion either.
“The notion of scientific “proof” is very different from mathematical “proof”.”
Agreed.