Excellent comments were made on this topic thread in the year 2006 (or so), but I disagree with the some of the points.
The first post in this topic said "We may agree with John Glenn, but he is an astronought [sic], not a scientist", but many of NASA's astronauts on the International Space Station conduct scientific experiments and are thus scientists. Regarding John Glenn specifically, I don't know if he performed science experiences in space, but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glenn says he '... lacked a science-based degree,[65] but had taken more classes since leaving college than needed for graduation. ... A portion of the astronauts' training was in the classroom, where they learned space science. ... Glenn was considered an expert in matters of science and technology due to his background. ... Glenn was an ordained elder of the Presbyterian Church.[227]
His religious faith began before he became an astronaut, and was
reinforced after he traveled in space. "To look out at this kind of
creation and not believe in God is to me impossible," said Glenn after
his second (and final) space voyage.[228]
He saw no contradiction between belief in God and the knowledge that
evolution is "a fact" and believed evolution should be taught in
schools:[229]
"I don't see that I'm any less religious that I can appreciate the fact
that science just records that we change with evolution and time, and
that's a fact. It doesn't mean it's less wondrous and it doesn't mean
that there can't be some power greater than any of us that has been
behind and is behind whatever is going on."[230] ' John Glenn thus could be considered an authority on space science.
Regarding Francis Hitching, though he definitely believed in the paranormal, including psychic powers, in my reading of his book called The Neck Of Giraffe: Where Darwin Went Wrong and of "Section two: The Emergence of man" in his The Mysterious World: An Atlas of the Unexplained book I see no attribution by him of evolution being directed by psychic power or by a cosmic force. I ask those who claim that Hitching believes evolution was directed by a cosmic force or by psychic power to provide a reference to where Hitching said such - until then I will disbelieve that claim. Hitching does however appear to believe "psychic evolution" in the sense of appearing to claim that psychic powers in humans have evolved; regarding that see his The Mysterious World: An Atlas of the Unexplained book.
As to whether of not Hitching was a scientist as a career he was apparently was not, but I wonder if he was an amateur scientist in regards to the topic of megalithic stone structures, since I think he might have done in-person archaeological study onsite at such structures. His book about such, called Earth Magic, received a positive review by Stuart Fleming in the "New Scientist" magazine. [See https://books.google.com/books?id=Rb9V2QSbnecC&pg=PA659&dq=francis+hitching&hl=en&ei=tpesTuLgMYuu8QOBlPygCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-preview-link&safe=active&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=francis%20hitching&f=false .] Though the reviewer was skeptical of a number of Hitching's claims, he says "Earth Magic is well worth the money as a balanced introduction to the subject."
The hardcover first USA edition published in 1982 by Ticknor & Fields of Hitching's book called The Neck Of Giraffe: Where Darwin Went Wrong on the back side of book's dust jacket says "Francis Hitching is our perfect guide through the tumult of scientific and nonscientific debate that is spotlighted by the Darwin centennial. If Darwin's theory is not valid, is there a better one? The Neck Of Giraffe suggests that there might be one--any day now." Notice that the publisher says that Hitching is the "perfect guide" regarding the debate about Darwin's theory of natural selection being the prime mechanism of evolution. That might be part of the reason that the WT literally called Hitching an authority, in regards to evolution, on page 108 of the WT's book from 1989 called THE BIBLE: God's Word or Mans?. Another reason why the WT might have called Hitching an authority on the topic is due to some of the reviews quoted in the edition of Hitching's book published by "Meridian": "New American Library" in June 1987 (with the subtitle of Darwin, Evolution, and the New Biology). That edition (on the first page of the paperback edition) says ' "The only account I know that conveys to the non-specialist reader crucial arguments as capable of affecting our understanding of ourselves as Darwin's account changed the entire late Victorian world." --BOSTON GLOBE' The outside back cover of that paperback edition says the following.
' "Excellent writing about science for lay readers... Lively, far-ranging, provocative." --WALL STREET JOURNAL
"Of particular importance today... Should stir quite a brew." --KIRTUS REVIEWS
"For its contribution to the understanding of an important issue, this book merits wide readership by both general readers and specialists." --LIBRARY JOURNAL'
In my reading of The Neck Of Giraffe, though I notice some inaccurate statements, I also notice much in the book that agrees with various pro-evolution books written by various scientists. To me, Hitching's book is very informative - including in pointing out both some strengths and some weaknesses in evolution theory (and the evidence pertaining to such).