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Despite the protestations to the contrary from the lunatic fringe, scientist normally don't hold onto ideas or theories to the point that they become like a religious mantra. It may seem like that if you listen to some scientist speak or read some of the journals, but there's very good and sound reasons as to why scientists stick to tried and true methodologies and theories. Yes, they can be inflexible sometimes. But as a whole, most scientist are open to new ideas, so long as those ideas make sense, are verifiable and promote the furthering of knowledge.
Unfortunately, like all people, some scientists can get an idea in their heads and become dogmatically stubborn in sticking with it. It usually occurs with ideas that are pet projects of scientist and those scientists don't want to give up on their ideas. That can be well and good, but sometimes the ideas they have weren't all that viable in the first place, or they have been repeatedly refuted by the overwhelming body of evidence that's been accumulated over the years. Except for their band of followers, most of these scientist are largely ignored or just allowed to continue on with their research but aren't generally cited by anyone, except where their studies are being tested again for scientific veracity.
However, it's when scientist start to go off the deep end with unsupportable ideas, or they begin to take on the less than sound ideas of the fringe as their own, is when they become ridiculed and rebuffed.
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