1. Yes. But that's my entire point. Science is never determined by "Whose opinion carries weight." Not ever.

Science is determined by whose data and conclusions are the most convincing. Period. It doesn't matter if the scientist is a Nobel prize winner, or a PhD student.

Sure. Her reputation might get her read. But that is the end of it (or, at least should be, in any credible scientific endeavor.)

This is probably the biggest failure of laypeople regarding understanding of science right now. This idea that "The 'most credible' wins."

2. "Being born ugly" (and people holding it against you) is certainly a form of discrimination. To give it a title, we would call it "Attractiveness discrimination."

Being born black and people holding it against you is race discrimination.

Being born a woman, and being convinced you have to choose between a career and a child, because of systemivc assumptions about the expected work-household labor division is definitive gender discrimination. Textbook gender discrimination.