Yikes; the Pauling quote is quite damning!
Looks like it took about five to seven years, and better evidence, and the scientific community came around - accepted his findings - and made significant discoveries and applications with his findings.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and it took him a few years to gather it.
But the last thing we need is scientists like Pauling calling someone diligently working to GATHER said evidence a “quasi-scientist”.
I think it might have been a little joke. Quasi-crystals, quasi-scientist...