Something similar happened a few years later with Fermat's last theorem, except that time vos Savant was wrong. (She didn't believe Wiles's proof.)
> In fact, her central theme is that non-Euclidean geometry, and indeed any mathematics related to non-Euclidean geometry, is nonsense.
I don't think the situations are similar...
Also, her problem and solution are concise to verify, I have yet to see a mechanized version of Wiles' proof. (I am willing to believe it when I see that, but until then I too have a hard time accepting the proof... but of course if an oracle put a gun to my temple and I had to guess, I'd be with Wiles...)