The best way to ensure scientific claims are valid is to subject them to various tests. Scientific claims has nothing to do with the body presenting them. Claims are authenticated following due scientific process.
Scientific method provides a way of ascertaining the validity of an assumption.
If the claims is not supported by the body of evidence obtained, then the claim has to be modified or refuted.
When the claim is consistent with various infallible proof from different sources, then it can be accepted.
The person presenting the scientific claim does not matter the claim itself is what is important if a random person of the street presents a claim that is tested and found to be correct that is great but if Steven Hawkins presented a claim and it went untested because of his name it could be completely wrong but still believed which means that the proof is much more important then the name.
