Why failure is a taboo topic in science

In this episode

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 epis…