Ethics of flawed stone

[Norman Watts <Norman_Watts@zzzzzzz>]

William,

Like a lot of people, I face this question every day, maybe more than once.
Doing research (even really trivial stuff) you are almost always faced with
"bad" results (unexplained values, things inconsistent with your favorite
explanation, etc). Time and time again I have learned that it is best to go
with the truth, not because I am more ethical or anything like that but
because it will almost certainly come back to bite your ass if you don't. It
is uncanny the way ignoring the truth leads you astray in the long run.

And it is really a great feeling when a year, or two, or even a decade later
when some "bad" result turns out to have been right after all, and you
fessed up to it at the time. And its not just me, yesterday an 'honest to a
fault' Mormon in our group had a 6 year old result confirmed by newer,
better data from someone else. There is a lot of disappointment in research
because things don't "work" the vast majority of the time (at least in my
hands) but when it goes right, its wonderful. The truth will out. In
business, even the business of art, I suppose the truth coming out may be in
running into the customer again. I don't know, I've never done that kind of
work.

neither christian nor angel,