This is true in any field. Many publications are trash. It takes a lot of experience to be able to tell apart bad science from good science in a specific field.

This is true in any field. Many publications are trash. It takes a lot of experience to be able to tell apart bad science from good science in a specific field. Every PhD knows how to read literature. But throw them outside their narrow line of expertise, and they will not be able to tell apart a good from a bad paper. It's the same reason you cannot trust your FB Karen who found a publication that supports her conspiracy theory. So yes your wife is right in looking for the most experienced person in the field for an opinion.