''...but they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.'' A fallacy; where the speaker, when confronted with expert opinion/testimony that opposes his point, asserts that the "experts" are in an fact wrong. Einstein is often replaced with any number of other visionaries who were derided by their contemporaries but ultimately vindicated (Tesla, the Wright brothers, Gallileo, etc.) Often a form of AdHominem, as the reason for the experts being wrong is one of: * The experts are biased. * The experts are self-selected (anyone who holds opinion A is an expert; anyone who does not is not. See NoTrueScotsman) * The experts are corrupt; often invoked by SnakeOilSalesmen when the medical community objects to some form of quackery being peddled. (i.e. "The reason doctors don't like my miracle cure is because they know it will put them all out of business!") * The experts are evil. ---- "They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown." Carl Sagan ---- Nazi Germany published a book titled something like "50 scientists against Einstein". Einstein responded "Why 50? If I was wrong, 1 would be enough." ''It was called'' 100 authors against Einstein''. Only one of them was a physicist, and three more were mathematicians. Also, it was published in 1931, so not in Nazi Germany.'' ---- Opposite, sort of, of AdVerecundiam. Similar to EveryoneHasHisOpinion ----- See also: DismissalOfSubjectExperts