&gt;This then leads to the argument that non-experts should respect the scientific consensus, but then how does a non-expert evaluate the credentials of a commentator to determine whether they are in fact an expert and part of a real scientific consensus?<p>This is an excellent and pertinent point.  As the article delved into, a lot of these people are big followers of &quot;alternative medicine&quot;, which is a field chock full of con artists and shysters claiming to be &quot;experts&quot;.  If someone is gullible, then they&#x27;re easily convinced by these fraudsters that their &quot;treatments&quot; are real and work, even though it&#x27;s just the placebo effect.<p>I&#x27;m just like the article&#x27;s author: I was married to someone like this.  My advice if you find yourself in a relationship with someone big into anti-vax or alternative medicine: GET OUT.  If you have a logical worldview that isn&#x27;t full of conspiracy theories, and you believe in things supported by real evidence, and your partner doesn&#x27;t, then the disagreements over this stuff are going to tear your relationship apart.  Just the sheer amount of money my wife spent on all that crap was one huge factor in our marriage failing.