The geologists that died disbelieving in plate tectonics weren’t free of intelligence. The very systems that allow us to find patterns are also liable to get stuck with seeing certain patterns.

Not only is it impossible with current human knowledge to construct an infallible theory that predicts everything we encounter, it is also impossible with current human physiology never to cling to wrong ideas in the face of counter evidence. When examining our rationality, we must not only admit our data are incomplete and our theories flawed, but we ourselves might be thinking foolishly.