These are broadly addressed critiques with potentially large rewards for discovering/verifying notions contrary to the prevailing understanding.

In other words, the incentive to just go-along if one has evidence to the contrary is low relative to the opportunity cost.

In even less words: money can be made if strong counter evidence to these topics can be verified.

Conclusion: its unlikely that these examples are really areas of hidden wisdom that runs counter to prevailing understanding.

On the one hand, interesting, but I don't think there's a worldwide conspiracy to prove global warming.

On the other hand, 1/4 is a large number, we'd have to break it down by discipline.