Give me a break! LOL! Science? C'mon man!
4 feet is far more stable than one. A 4 post hoist can easily be made far more stable than a one post hoist. FACT!
Yes, science (Engineering to be more specific).
There is a whole myriad of factors to be considered in the design of any lift.
While the loading paramaters (vertical, lateral, bending) vary greatly between the designs, the ultimate stability remains as a constant, based on the quality of the manufacture and installation.
By examples:
A four post lift poorly braced will be far more susceptible to a lateral failure than its counter-part.
A four post lift incorrectly installed (not sharing the loads amongst all four posts), will be far more susceptible to column crippling than its counter-part.
That said, a single post lift, poorly designed, manufactured, or installed, is also a recipe for disaster.
I stand by my 'opinion' that the stability of the system has nothing to do with the quantity of its legs.
If you are buying a lift (of any configuration), do so with a reputable manufacturer and have it properly installed.
If the fear of how the lift 'looks' is to be your guide, you'd better stay indoors because this design is everwhere.