On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:15:58 -0600, Lew Hartswick
wrote:

Dersu Uzala wrote:
and I know that in the
scientific world, accolades go the scientist that over-turns the accepted
paradigm.

Jut where have you heard that?
From the time of Galileo to the present I think you have
proven wrong in that many time over.
...lew... cross posting deleted

The disconnect is timeframe. Accolades for "wrong-thinkers"
who turn out to be right are posthumous.

Peer review is a good system for weeding out irresponsible and
deliberately deceptive research, but it is as prone to imperfection
and error as government elected by a majority because peers (and
voters) often have self-interest agendae.

There are few institutions more political and bureaucratic than
universities and academia.