It's worth keeping in mind that very smart people in the past believed things that we now know are nonsense. And most likely, smart people today believe things that will be considered nonsense in the future.
That, or they were skeptical in dangerous ways. I'm thinking of the example of Richard Feynman questioning if you should brush your teeth, which although is valid to scientifically challenge. There's other examples of "smart people", especially in their own domains openly applying their technique to other fields for the detriment of observers.