Nor do the reporters and/or editorials that cite such peer-reviewed papers that agree with their opinions.
Wait, maybe they do understand but they also understand that the general public doesn't understand.
Wait, maybe they do understand but they also understand that the general public doesn't understand.
In my experience it's more like: Most scientists ignored it. Others were interested but had too much teaching to pay attention to it. A few people got pissed off and tried to prove it wrong. A few other people got excited and tried to build on it.