I do believe that professors should have extra legitimacy and their opinions should have extra weight even outside of their area of expertise. They're smarter than us, thats why they teach.

I wouldn't ask a neurosurgeon to comment on an engineering problem, but if I had to pick someone to figure out an engineering problem and I couldn't pick an engineer, I'd pick the neurosurgeon. He's most likely capable of doing it when he puts his mind to it, far more capable than you or I, assuming you're not on that playing field.

I don't know specifically what you are referring to when you are talking about him reaching out of his area of expertise but I've watched his lectures from 20 years ago and ones from 2 years ago and he hasn't changed his tune much, only updating things with new findings. Hes been steadfast in his stances, the same ones that lead him to go before the canadian senate and plead his case.

Have you listened to him talk for 27 hours as he lays out his ideas in university format