An equine observation, if you will..... :)

"I also count 7 co-authors on the paper you cite"

"Since you're so fond of big-names, here's Dr Neil Degrasse Tyson on appeal to authority and argumentam ad numeram in the scientific method.

http://www.cosmosontv.com/ "

"hardly suggesting he is some lone crazy voice."

"...as opposed to Copernicus, who was some lone crazy voice."

What we have here are two very different things.

Cantor is doing bad science, but at least pretending to empirically validate the scientific facts.

Ethan is concerned only with popular opinion and what arguments might pan out in an opinion poll.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallup_(company)

So what we have have here is an exercise in dressage; a canter being followed by a gallop. ;p

Dante