A real failure does not need an excuse. It is an end in itself.
- Gertrude Stein
We are all familiar with the platitudes teaching us the value of failure on the path to success, constrained by a view of failure as a means to an end, a necessary obstacle to be overcome. What about failure as a good? Is there intrinsic value to failure? How about failure that contains valuable data, not just an error message? Can there be positive failure? Can we use failure to enhance creativity, education, behavior, or innovation? How do we research and recognize failure?
The interdisciplinary conference will bring together academic and industry leaders — scholars and practitioners in the arts, sciences (natural and social), humanities, economics, business, law, and education to examine the value of failure in making progress. Historical, current, and future perspectives will be discussed through a combination of short presentations, discussions, and panels.
Free and open to the public, but RSVP is required via EventBrite. For more information, visit scienceandsociety.columbia.edu.
