Ego is the main reason why some people can't accept most contrarian facts.

If people are raised in a particular faith all their lives and then something comes along to challenge that belief after 50 years, how willing are most people to even look into the opposing view, much less accept that they might be wrong???

Especially if even considering an opposing or just different view means they have no "real faith"! This is the quicksand to progressive thinking I'm afraid.

Similarly a scientist who has ascribed to status quo theories, with peer-reviewed research suddenly has to admit that his research or conclusions were wrong!

This might also mean he/she loses research grant money!!

No one should be so naive and gullbile as to beleive everything that comes to us of course but scientist and theologian alike have demonstrated a stubborness when it comes to holding on to their own theories/beliefs in the face of potentially contradictory assertions.

The biggest obstacle to progress is the human inability to utter these words "Perhaps I'm mistaken'!!! :)

Yes, Margaret Mead comes to mind. She wrote in a letter to a fellow anthropologist/assistant (?) that they had better not mention certain facts about their findings re some island tribes (forget which one, Samoans?) as that would seriously upset their carefully laid theories. Now that is downright dishonest! And yet, she was very much, and still is, respected.