At one time it had been a sign of madness to believe that the earth goes round the sun. Being a minority, even a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth , and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad. The obvious, the silly, and the true had to be defended. The solid world exists, its laws do not change.
Stones are hard, water is wet, objects unsupported fall towards the earth's centre.
If that is granted, all else follows. Terrorist McVeigh faces execution in 649 hours , Washington Times, April 19, 2001. Internet conspiracy game challenges reality , The Herald, March 27, 2001. Suspicious packages prompt bio-terrorism scare , Globe and Mail, March 22, 2001. Mortuary shock for violent pupils , Daily Telegraph, March 16, 2001.