And yet otherwise reasonable people embrace the concept of &quot;scientific consensus&quot; most notably in the man made global warming discussion. This is nothing but an appeal to authority . While it is true that commonly good ideas are accepted by a majority of researchers in the relevant field, it is not 100% guaranteed. It is such a shame that we reach for the &quot;scientific consensus&quot; argument when there is no need due to the overwhelming evidence for man made global warming. It&#x27;s lazy, sloppy, and encourages group think over rational inquiry.