Do scientists fail?

(Spoiler alert: the answer is yes)

​The Impact of Herbivory on Duckweed Performance in Natural Aquatic Ecosystems: An experiment without results
The scientific method as I was taught in school consisted of seven steps. 1: Question, 2: Hypothesize, 3: Experiment, 4: Observe and Record, 5: Analyze, 6: Form a conclusion, 7: Share results. This series of seven steps was drilled into us, taught to us in science class year after year. This was the core of science, what makes it empirical and evidence-based. This was what scientists have used for hundreds of years to make the incredible discoveries I had learned about in books. There were seven steps to science, and there was no step for failure.
         A week had passed since my setup, and I stepped out into the brisk morning air to check on my experiments. I suited up, putting on the heavy boots attached to the chest waders, thick waterproof overalls that allowed me to step chest deep into water, feeling invincible against the reservoir and everything in it. I walked over to the sites with my camera around my neck, its weight resting against my chest where my heartrate increased thinking about what my preliminary results would look like. As I had done two weeks ago, I kneeled over the water, expecting the familiar sight of bright green duckweed. Expecting to see the results that would help us discover more about the world. I was instead faced with my reflection in the water. The duckweed was gone.

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