Why mistakes are great for science

[Brian G Turner]

Here's a fun 10 minutes video by astroner Phil Plait about why mistakes in science are great - and uses the hunt for exoplanets as source of examples:

And if you don't fancy watching the video, the original script is here:

Postscript and transcript: About making mistakes in science

It underlines something I've said before about embracing the unknown in science - as he says, humans love puzzles and the universe is the biggest puzzle there is.

 

[Joshua Jones]

Here's a fun 10 minutes video by astroner Phil Plait about why mistakes in science are great - and uses the hunt for exoplanets as source of examples:

And if you don't fancy watching the video, the original script is here:

Postscript and transcript: About making mistakes in science

It underlines something I've said before about embracing the unknown in science - as he says, humans love puzzles and the universe is the biggest puzzle there is.

Great talk; thank you for sharing!

 

[LordOfWizards]

Doesn't everybody know that the sky is blue because of Nitrogen (well yes, and Oxygen too)? The blue wavelength in the sunlight is scattered by N2, and O2 molecules and red wavelengths pass through with very little scattering, (except at sunset) when there is a lot more atmosphere to pass through. Interesting to note: It's just the opposite of the example he uses: The Oceans, lakes and such are reflecting the blue in the atmosphere. (My tap water isn't blue. Is yours?)

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Mistakes in science aren't just great - they're essential.

 

[Foxbat]

Mistakes in science aren't just great - they're essential.

Absolutely.
Just ask Alexander Fleming and the mistake he made in keeping an untidy lab.