Why failure is a taboo topic in science

Experiments fail and careers plans can go awry, forcing us to pivot in a different direction. Organizations also make mistakes. But failure, at both an individual and institutional level, can be a useful teacher. In the first episode of a six-part podcast series about failure in science, Nature editor-in-chief Magdalena Skipper says: “I find it surprising that we don’t talk more about failure, that we’re not more honest about the role that it plays. Nobody wants to talk about it. Hence, it’s a taboo.” In April, the journal partnered with Imperial College London on a one-day conference looking at the role of failure in science. Some of the themes from that event will be covered in future episodes, including how Silicon Valley celebrates ​​​​​​​“failing fast” as an important learning tool which academia can learn from, and the importance of risk-taking in research. Launching the conference alongside Stephen Webster, who leads Imperial's Good Science project, a programme that examines research culture, Skipper said the best career decision she ever made was stepping away from active research. She tells the podcast: “To some who are wedded to the idea that the only true path for a researcher is to continue in active research, that was a sign of my failure. I failed to be a successful academic researcher.” She ends by quoting British statesman Sir Winston Churchill, who said: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.