Ames, I have not seen anybody question the truth of the Sages here. The question is whether the Sages knew modern science. Rebbe Yehudah Hanasi himself said that the non-Jewish scientists of his time seemed to be correct on a certain astronomical point against the view of Chazal (Pesachim 94a). And in the gemara right before that, there is another such dispute, and the gemara asks a kashya on the non-Jewish scientists’ position, seeming to disprove them, but then one amora thinks of an answer to defend the non-Jewish scientist’s position!!! (Ames, I would not have looked it up, had you not posted. Thanks!)
Rabbosai, mi kiamcha yisroel! The intellectual honesty of Chazal to defend the position of the non-Jewish scientists, and to seek the Emes, even if it potentially shows they were wrong! This is the gadlus of Chazal, and is far greater than any miraculous scientific knowledge that they might have had. They were bnei adam who conducted themselves as malachim, and fought for emes, even when it makes them look bad.
Similarly, we have the story of Reb Nehemiah Haamsuni who was willing to throw out his entire life’s work of darshining every Es in Chumash, since one of them might not be Emes. In addition, the gemara learns out Kibbud Av from an idol worshipper, Dama ben Nesina.
In my opinion, this is the supreme and highest level a human being can achieve. To be totally honest and self-effacing in the search for knowledge and proper midos, and learning from everybody. By postulating they had miraculous knowledge, when they in fact tried with their own yegiah to find the emes, we are actually minimizing the gadlus of Chazal, in my opinion.