Henry Baker:
Since I was alive during the period when plate techtonics was finally acknowledged, even after every schoolboy/schoolgirl for hundreds of years had pointed out the obvious jigsaw puzzle pieces, I've been amazed by the ability of scientists self delude.
The idea of continental drift was first suggested by cartographer Abraham Ortelius in 1587. Since then, a few people have espoused the notion (in print) with a variety of mechanisms, culminating with Alfred Wegener's combination of "pole-fleeing force and tidal attraction". Continental drift was finally (i.e., generally) acknowledged with the *advent* of plate tectonics. I'll point out that even with Wegener's inadequate mechanism, he had a number of prominent scientists supporting him. This is how science works. It's all good!