How to Learn from Failure
by Simon. Average Reading Time: less than a minute.
Too often we assume that a failed experiment is a wasted effort. But not all anomalies are useless.
- Check your assumptions
Ask yourself why this result feels like a failure. What theory does this contradict? Maybe the hypothesis failed, not the experiment. - Seek out the ignorant
Talk to people who are unfamiliar with your experiment. Explaining your work in simple terms may help you see it in a new light. - Beware of failure blindness
It’s normal to filter out information that contradicts our preconceptions. The only way to avoid that bias is to be aware of it. - Encourage diversity
If everyone working on a problem speaks the same language, then everyone has the same set of assumptions.
Excerpt from February’s UK edition of Wired.
