[PhilipFreneau]

>>>There is no "ultimate authority" with the force of law in Science.<<<

Of course there is. It is called peer pressure. Peer pressure in science is as coercive as the peer pressure that make school age boys wear pants that are so big and baggy that a reasonable person would think they were found in a dumpster.

[GSlob]

"Of course there is. It is called peer pressure. "
I am afraid you forget that successfully bucking this peer pressure and the scientific consensus is the shortest path to the top flight of any scientific field - like winning a big jackpot in a lottery. Many try, but it takes much more than lottery luck to be a winner, so there are preciously few such winners.

[A. Pole]

Of course there is. It is called peer pressure. Peer pressure in science is as coercive as the peer pressure that make school age boys wear pants that are so big and baggy that a reasonable person would think they were found in a dumpster.

And founding/publishing/career pressure. Unpopular research tends to be underfounded and underpublished and not leading to the tenure of promotion.

That is why most of the studies will have to support global warming, dangers of second hand smoking and to present homosexuality as a wholesome normal life style.

Most of scientists are conformists and cowards and for a very good reason of self-preservation!