Now I see what got this started! I still agree with BD's observation. :)
The challenge is not so much that concensus has become confused for truth; although that is a concern. More fundementally we have a society that no longer recognizes or trust expertise, and yet has no other tool to filter the tons of information thrown at us. While I agree it is impossible to check everything, because we are not experts in everything (well most of us aren't) - it is possible to test or check on things that matter to us. Most people don't do that, maybe don't even know how.
That's one reason I often provide references in my tech posts. I figure at least some folks will see where it comes from.