This article was originally posted on ACSH.

When presented with quantum entanglement, Albert Einstein derided it as “spooky action at a distance.” When meteorologist Alfred Wegener proposed his theory of continental drift, he was mocked. And when internist Barry Marshall’s suggestion that ulcers were caused by a bacterium was dismissed by the biomedical community, he swallowed a flask-full of the stuff to prove his point.

What these three completely unrelated topics – quantum entanglement, continental drift, and ulcers as an infectious disease – have in common are two striking features: (1) they sounded completely nuts at the time; and (2) they are demonstrably and undeniably true. Continue reading →