Trapped in the Scientific Doldrums

Scientific progress does not always go "Boink". Instead, it frequently goes "muttermuttermutter@!$%&*mutter". The thing about science is that, well, when you're trying to figure out something new, no one can tell you the answer. There's no hint in the back of the book, or 24-hour help line. So, if you get stuck, you may well find yourself in the scientific equivalent of a lonely mountain road with a broken axle. And no cell service. In essence, you've broken down in a place no one wants to go to. But, unless you're ready to call it quits, you somehow have to find your way out. You don't know how long it's going to take, or how you're going to make it, but somehow, you're going to find your way back to the main road. So, you keep hurling yourself at the problem, trying every MacGyver trick in your arsenal, hoping that ...