-
Asked by to Daren, Lynne, Phillip, Simon on 17 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
-
anon answered on 17 Jun 2014:
I think I did used to get stressed when I first started, but when you’ve done quite a lot of experiments you realise that it’s not always your fault and that experiments failing is a big part of science. It helps you find the right answer eventually!
It can make you quite downhearted when you try lots of times to do something and you still can’t. The best thing to do is to take a break – go for a cup of coffee or try doing something different for a change. You usually find that when you come back you come up with a solution and it goes better.
-
-
Daren Fearon answered on 17 Jun 2014:
It is easy to get stressed and overwhelmed when experiments fail or go wrong but it is important not to take it personally and to try and learn from the experience. Also, in some cases a negative result can be as useful or important as a positive one as it can tell you what isn’t causing the effect your seeing and help you narrow down what is. So long as you carry out sensible experiments and take lots of notes, results can always be productive.
-
Lynne Thomas answered on 17 Jun 2014:
I think everyone gets a bit stressed if things that they are trying to do aren’t working as they would like. But you do have to learn to accept that nobody manages to go through their scientific life with everything working well! I find that having a good team of other people around me really helps to pick me up and see the positives if things haven’t quite worked as planned. And I, in return, can help to pick them up if they’re struggling too! And sometimes talking through the problem with someone else can help you to see what changes you might need to make even if they don’t have any suggestions themselves.
-
Phillip Manning answered on 18 Jun 2014:
I tend not to stress about experiments going wrong, as that is often when you make the best discoveries. As a scientist you have to take the rough with the smooth 🙂
Comments