In 1912, the German meteorologist Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents of the Earth ...
spacedaily.com
Alfred Wegener said the continents were drifting apart in 1912 — and geologists laughed for 50 years, until ocean-floor evidence proved him right after his death.
Paradigm ShiftScientific ConsensusPlate Tectonics TheoryPeer Rejection Bias
Theory Briefing
- Wegener proposed continental drift in 1912 and was ridiculed by the geological establishment for the next five decades.
- He died before vindication — new ocean-floor evidence confirmed his theory only three decades after his death.
- His case is a striking example of how scientific consensus can suppress a correct idea for generations.
- The ocean-floor data that finally convinced geologists showed seafloor spreading, the hard evidence Wegener himself never had.