I hate when that happens!

Being a research scientist is the pits. Nothing ever goes as plans, peers constantly torpedo your work, the hours are atrocious, and the pay is low. At least that was the case 50 years ago when I was one. I chunked it and became a career air transport pilot. I had a cousin who chunked a research oriented business school professorship, bought a big rig, and hauled freight the rest of his life. Neither of us ever looked back.

Standard programming practice. MUNG - Modify Until No Good.

Too bad you missed out on the Global Warming Scam, Bill. You'd be living large, rubbing shoulders with Al Gore, eating shrimp cocktail at the UN, rolling in grant money... Of course, you might have too much integrity as a scientist to say things like "I can't show you the data. You'll just try to find something wrong with it." In which case, never mind!