Expert consensus does not define the state of objective reality, it only alters people's beliefs about it.

Also, an absence of evidence is not proof of absence, though it usually appears that it is.

This is one reason I really enjoyed reading Prometheus Rising. A significant part of the book is dedicated to show you just how little you actually know about reality when you discount beliefs you acquired either extrapolating experiences or simply adopting some dogma (even if it’s simply believing Positivism in science). In the end it’s impossible for us to even assess whether there is a reality out there.

Thank you for the book recommendation, I am going to check it out.

> In the end it’s impossible for us to even assess whether there is a reality out there.

Well, I'd say ontologically / phenomenologically it's basically a sure thing, though whether the nature and ontology of it is anything near what it is said to be is a very different matter!