China evaluates the need for scientific failure

Chinese officials are mulling a new law that will officially sanction the value of scientific failure. A draft amendment to the Law on Science and Technology Process would clarify that scientists undertaking high-risk projects would not have to be concerned about the loss of future funding in light of a failed experiment. The top minister for science has been worried that scientists feel a considerable amount of pressure to report successes--particularly in the field of drug research. That's causing some researchers to steer away from the toughest projects--to say nothing about increasing the likelihood of fraudulent results. In drug research, of course, failure is a familiar feature in the field. And without regular failures, no one expects rapid progress.

- read the report on the proposed law from DrugResearcher.com

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