Yes, I don't buy his conspiracies and UFO beliefs, but since he is a leading authority on magnetohydrodynamics and mastered geometry I don't see him as any raving fool.
J.P. Petit is a knowledgeable scientist with independent views, now disregarded because of some of his foibles.
That's why I won't say that all of his theories or mere ideas should "be taken with much skepticism", that would be very unfair and at least irrational.
He could be right on this geometric approach, no matter what strange views he can have on other subjects.
Geometry is just his field and sometime science subjects need people from other fields to advance.
Moreover I've seen some other recent scientist publications with similar results, but with physic approach, I'll link here if I remember.