I think my use of "boil down" didn't come across as intended. My point was that many/most people do not have the ability to independently verify the claims of e

I think my use of "boil down" didn't come across as intended. My point was that many/most people do not have the ability to independently verify the claims of experts in various scientific fields, nor do they care to. They instead trust the institutions that have been built throughout history and entrusted with the task of getting things right. Their beliefs really are roughly "this is what scientists say so I believe it". I'm not saying they don't have a good reason to believe it, just that this is the reality of the dynamic. I think this is important because it underscores the criticality of institutions, and the importance of maintaining the health of the ones we have. > You're acting like anything that one hasn't independently verified is something one is taking on faith To be clear, this is definitely not what I'm saying.