The purpose of clearly delineating what is known vs popular is SCIENCE.
That is, clear distinction between what is thought, and what is proved.
To not be intellectually honest about the difference leads to error.
Right now, “popular” science seems to be overtaking “hard” science.
It does not matter how “many” people agree, it can still be wrong.....keep in mind that that goes against the current mantra of “peer review” is sufficient to claim “proof” rather than “theory”.
If you want a perfect example, read about what happened to Pastuer who dared question the idea of Spontaneous Generation, and proposed that bacteria were the source of pathogen. He was blackballed from the Acadamy of Sciences in Paris and roundly denounced in the press as an idiot.
It did not change the fact that he was right. Even it he failed peer review.
Can you prove that DNA can't survive 80 million years?