Alas; Before peer review, it was a discovery. Now that peer review has confirmed it, and removed a great deal of doubt, it can be labeled a a fact and filed under science.

There is an important distinction to note. One that many conspiracy theorists and pseudo-science hucksters intentionally leave out because it helps them sell their fake products. Science is a process not a single point in time.

I could publish a paper saying that peoples toes glow at night. It would be well thought out, with documentation pertaining to my toes glowing as they stuck out from under the sheets of my bed. Since I have made this discovery, I have made science! Where is my Nobel prize?

Unfortunately I have not made science. Besides potentially making an ass out of myself in a public forum, I made a discovery that calls for peer review. When a scientist reviews the work, they validate that the experiment was done properly and they try to recreate the experiment. If an only if the experiment can be properly recreated and there are no errors in the process, it can then be labeled science.

What would a peer review say of my glowing toes? "That is simply your nightlight reflecting off of the shiny part of your Batman Underoos. And by god, trim your nails!"