ABSTRACT
Mainstream science must have its fringe component if it is not to atrophy. In this fringe there are discoveries that will later graduate into the ranks of the accepted and others that will never receive confirmation. How scientists will view novelty will depend on its immediate degree of plausibility. One can certainly anticipate the arrival of other cases of fringe science, if not specifically then generically. The purpose and style of this anticipation will take various forms, depending on the particular fringe area, and scientists will respond differently from nonscientists. Forefront science is inherently risky. Techniques are often being developed as the research progresses, and the range of required skills often exceeds that of any single scientist in modern collaborative research. Collaboration is therefore inevitable and a source of strength, but with it comes a division of scientific responsibility. Cross-checking, even of a final manuscript, may be minimal because of the intellectual separation of the cooperating disciplines.
