A scientist walks through a wall built from failed experiments and obstacles.
Illustrations

Breakthrough: What We Don’t See Behind Success

This week’s Science Gets Literal illustration concludes the Science Gets Literal series with one of the most celebrated words in science: Breakthrough.

The drawing depicts a scientist walking through a wall built from failed experiments, setbacks, and obstacles.

It is a fitting image because the public usually sees only the breakthrough itself.

A scientist walks through a wall built from failed experiments and obstacles.
Breakthrough

Headlines announce discoveries. Awards recognize accomplishments. Success stories are shared widely. What often remains invisible are the years of persistence that made those moments possible.

Scientific progress is rarely a straight line. Experiments fail. Grants are rejected. Manuscripts require revision. Projects stall and restart.

Yet researchers continue.

The breakthrough is not separate from those challenges. It is often the result of moving through them.

Perhaps that is why breakthroughs capture our imagination. They remind us that progress remains possible, even when the path forward is unclear.

Every discovery has a backstory. Most are written in persistence.

Thank you for joining me this for Science Gets Literal. I hope these illustrations have added a bit of creativity, curiosity, and joy to our Thursday conversations about science and discovery.

Further Reading

Scientists travel through a giant pipeline representing the stages of discovery.
Researchers play a carnival dart game aimed at disease targets while avoiding healthy tissue.
A conveyor belt carries discoveries from a laboratory bench to a hospital bed.
A brain sits beneath storm clouds filled with lightbulbs and flashes of inspiration.
People stand on a giant scatterplot, becoming the data points themselves.
A hospital is transformed into a courtroom where medical evidence is presented.
Researchers are covered with revision notes, comments, and manuscript edits
Research participants sit behind observation glass while scientists watch and take notes.
A failed experiment appears in a courtroom where evidence is being presented.
A scientist paints graphs, charts, and data displays on an artist's easel.
Researchers stand beneath an enormous tower of numbers that rises above them.
Streams of numbers travel through a network of large industrial pipes monitored by scientists.
Scientists wash and dry datasets inside a laundromat.
Scientists wearing mining gear dig through mountains of data in search of discoveries.
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Disclaimer: I was not compensated, sponsored, or asked to promote this book in any way—I simply found it valuable and worth sharing. A Different Kind of Book Club In academic settings, the idea of a “book club” often feels informal—something reserved for personal growth or casual discussion. Yet some books demand a more deliberate kind of engagement, particularly when they challenge the way we approach our work. Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect is one of those books. While it is grounded in the world of fine dining, its core message extends far beyond restaurants: any profession can choose to operate in the hospitality business. In research administration, this idea is both unexpected and deeply relevant (Guidara, 2022). At its core, Unreasonable Hospitality argues that excellence is not enough to differentiate an organization—what matters is how people feel as a result of their experience. This concept challenges the traditional framing of research administration as a primarily procedural or compliance-driven function. While accuracy, timeliness, and regulatory adherence remain essential, they are also widely expected. What is less common—and far more impactful—is the intentional design of experiences that are clear, supportive, and memorable. This shift from task execution to experience design forms the foundation of this series. This is not a book review. It is a translation exercise. Over the next series of posts, we will take key concepts from Unreasonable Hospitality and apply them directly to research administration—exploring how ideas such as service versus hospitality, intentionality, small moments of impact, and leadership behaviors can reshape the way we support faculty, scholars, and trainees. Each post will focus on a single principle, offering both reflection and practical application. The goal is not simply to understand the ideas, but to integrate them into daily practice. Framing this series as a “book club” is intentional. A book club implies participation, reflection, and conversation—not passive consumption. The invitation is not just to read, but to consider: How do these ideas apply to your own work? Where do they challenge your current approach? What might change if you adopted them more fully? In this way, the series becomes a shared exploration of how research administration can evolve—not through large-scale transformation alone, but through small, intentional shifts in how we approach our roles. Importantly, this series also recognizes the context in which research administrators operate. The work is complex, deadlines are fixed, and resources are often limited. The goal is not to add more to an already full workload, but to rethink how existing work is experienced. Many of the concepts explored—clarity in communication, anticipation of needs, consistency in leadership—require minimal additional time, yet have significant impact. This is the central promise of unreasonable hospitality: that small, thoughtful actions can create disproportionately meaningful experiences. Ultimately, this series is about expanding how we define excellence in research administration. If service is the baseline, hospitality becomes the differentiator. If processes define what we do, experiences define how that work is remembered. By engaging with these ideas over time, we can begin to articulate a more intentional, human-centered approach to our work—one that aligns precision with purpose. ________________________________________ What to Expect in This Series Over the next several posts, we will explore themes including: • The difference between service and hospitality • Why “good enough” is not memorable • The role of intentionality in designing experiences • The impact of small, thoughtful moments • Leadership behaviors that shape culture and trust • Balancing systems with personalization • Defining your own signature experience Each post will build on the last, creating a cohesive framework for applying these ideas within research administration. ________________________________________ Action Items to Get Started • Begin with awareness. As you move through your work this week, notice where interactions feel transactional versus experiential. • Select one upcoming interaction and consider how you might intentionally shape the experience. • Approach this series actively. Reflect on each concept and identify one small way to apply it in your context. • Engage your team. Consider discussing these ideas collectively to build shared language and alignment. This is not about doing more. It is about doing what we already do—with greater intention.
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