The Lean Startup movement has focused considerable energy in the message that we learn from failures. Small, easily recoverable, failures can be invaluable in the success of a company. However, many ignore failure and focus on success. Since success is a rarity and failure much more common, we limit our learning opportunities by that success focus.
However, many also do not understand how the scientific process actually works. We therefore tend to build experiments that are invalid.
In Episode 4 of Collaberwocky, Corey Ladas, Jabe Bloom, and I discuss thoughtful failure.