you gotta know when to fold 'em

I'm a scientist.

By definition that means that I am always trying to do things that have never been done before, and may not be possible. Sometimes, that impossibility is bound to creep up on me.

In fact, the more interesting the research question is, the more likely it is that it's not solvable (because, if it's interesting and possible to solve, it's likely that someone will already have solved it).

The problem is that it's very very rarely obvious that a problem is actually not solvable. There's always the chance that, if I only had some new insight, or was a little smarter, I could figure out whatever it is that I'm toiling over. And, once I've sunk months into some question, it gets tough to just jump ship and move on.

For some good advice on this issue, I turn to country music singer Kenny Rogers. The real question is, how do you know when to walk away, and when to run? Unfortunately, Kenny can't answer that question, and neither can I.