In engineering, it’s usually possible to try things out,
learn from failure and adapt quite quickly. In developing a successful light
bulb, Thomas Edison did hundreds, even thousands, of iterations in developing a
filament that would both provide good illumination and last a decent length of
time, with a multitude of failures along the path.
Science is rather different, as major new theories sometimes
have to wait for years before they can be either validated or discarded.
The new library in Edinburgh records a litany of
financial disasters. I wonder if anyone at RBS (or any of the other banks that
ran themselves into the rocks) will be paying it a visit?
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