1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910810859903321

Autore

Firestein Stuart

Titolo

Failure : why science is so successful / / Stuart Firestein

Pubbl/distr/stampa

New York, New York : , : Oxford University Press, , [2016]

©2016

ISBN

0-19-939012-6

0-19-939011-8

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (305 p.)

Disciplina

501

Soggetti

Failure (Psychology)

Science - Philosophy

Discoveries in science

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Introduction -- Failing to define failure -- Fail better : advice from samuel beckett -- The scientific basis of failure -- The unreasonable success of failure -- The integrity of failure -- Teaching failure -- The arc of failure -- The scientific method of failure -- Failure in the clinic -- How to love your data when it's wrong : negative results -- Philosopher of failure -- Funding failure -- Pharma failure -- A plurality of failures -- CODA.

Sommario/riassunto

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: W