Is it? I think it's a symptom of lack of science and math education. No one who understands both of them would think that either is proof that the other one is "fake".

Where "reality" is defined as "that part of reality which is deemed acceptable at this moment", otherwise known as the Overton window. Mention something which lies outside of it but still well within the domain of science - I'm not talking about creationism - and you'll soon find out "reality" deserves those scare quotes around it. Go have a look at the discussions around SARS2, around the efficacy or lack thereof of the experimental vaccines or whether masking really provides protection against these types of infections. There is legitimate science on both sides of the debate but only one side was welcome during the pandemic, those who cited the other side quickly got labelled and nullified. There are countless other areas where this phenomenon can be seen and where a label and nullification awaits those who dare to step over the line, I'm fairly sure everyone can think of a few of them.