Sigh. I just discovered an experiment very similar to what I've been designing over the last several weeks.
This has to be one of the most difficult and discouraging parts of science.
I don't feel as "scooped" as I used to when this happens. I've come to realize that I almost always have something else to add, so this is generally a sign to pivot rather than give up.
But I did waste effort researching what this paper clearly explains, and now I have to stop and rethink everything I'm doing, and maybe even start over from scratch on some things. Frustrating!
What bothers me most about this is how accidental it all is. The scientific literature is barely organized. I find things because someone points them out, or because I have the right magic keywords. Both of those methods are painfully unreliable, and I often find things much later than I'd like.
There's gotta be a better way.
#academicchatter