Failure: Why Science Is So Successful

by Stuart Firestein

Overview

The general public has a glorified view of the pursuit of scientific research. However, the idealized perception of science as a rule-based, methodical system for accumulating facts could not be further from the truth. Modern science involves the idiosyncratic, often bumbling search for understanding in uncharted territories, full of wrong turns, false findings, and the occasional remarkable success. In his sequel to Ignorance (Oxford University Press, 2012), Stuart Firestein shows us that the scientific enterprise is riddled with mistakes and errors - and that this is a good thing! Failure: Why Science Is So Successful delves into the origins of scientific research as a process that relies upon trial and error, one which inevitably results in a hefty dose of failure. In fact, scientists throughout history have relied on failure to guide their research, viewing mistakes as a necessary part of the process. Citing both historical and contemporary examples, Firestein strips away the distorted view of science as infallible to provide the public with a rare, inside glimpse of the messy realities of the scientific process. An insider's view of how science is actually carried out, this book will delight anyone with an interest in science, from aspiring scientists to curious general readers. Accessible and entertaining, Failure illuminates the greatest and most productive adventure of human history, with all the missteps along the way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199390120
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/01/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	678 KB

About the Author

Stuart Firestein is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, where his highly popular course on ignorance invites working scientists to come talk to students each week about what they don't know. Dedicated to promoting science to a public audience, he serves as an advisor for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's program for the Public Understanding of Science and was awarded the 2011 Lenfest Distinguished Columbia Faculty Award for excellence in scholarship and teaching. He was also recently named an AAAS Fellow.

Table of Contents

Contents 1. Introduction 2. Failing to Define Failure 3. Fail Better: Advice from Samuel Beckett 4. The Scientific Basis of Failure 5. The Unreasonable Success of Failure 6. The Integrity of Failure 7. Teaching Failure 8. The Arc of Failure 9. The Scientific Method of Failure 10. Failure in the Clinic 11. How to Love Your Data When It's Wrong: Negative Results 12. Philosopher of Failure 13. Funding Failure 14. A Plurality of Failures 15. CODA Notes Index

Editorial Reviews

…Failure: Why Science Is So Successful is a breath of contemplative fresh air…In a tone reminiscent of Lewis Thomas's The Lives of a Cell, the book is a collection of loosely interwoven meditations on failure and scientific method. Firestein picks up an idea, gnaws on it, then examines it from as many different angles as he can, as in a series of easygoing chats…The spirit of his book is reflected in his wise interpretation of Beckett's famous "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." For Firestein, failing better means eschewing success when you already know how to achieve it, instead seeking out those areas where mysteries still reside. He encourages trying to fail because it is the only strategy to avoid repeating the obvious.

The New York Times Book Review - Robert A. Burton

"If there is any justification for man's ability to overcome his own limits of reason, 'FAILURE' stands as a shining example." - New York Times Book Review

"Energetic...a close examination of how repeated failure refines problems, clarifying the way forward." - Nature Magazine

From the Publisher

10/15/2015
The premise of this book is that in order to achieve success in science, one must first try many possible solutions that ultimately fail. Indeed, Firestein (biology, Columbia Univ.; Ignorance) argues that failures often lead to interesting avenues of study that the investigator had not previously considered. Comprised of 14 essays on a variety of subtopics, this title lacks flow but remains engaging throughout. The author is particularly keen to dispel misconceptions about how science works; to that end, there is a chapter attacking the scientific method, another on scientific "arcs" or progressions, and one on negative results. Among the best chapters is a section on funding and how to support an industry that needs to incorporate failure into its structure. Throughout, Firestein emphasizes that the greatest thing to hear in the lab is not "eureka!" Rather, it is "huh, why did that happen?" VERDICT Readers from many fields, including education and communication, will find this title instructive and helpful.—Cate Hirschbiel, Iwasaki Lib., Emerson Coll., Boston

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