On Handling the Data

On Handling the Data is a science fiction short story written by M. I. Mayfield in the late 1950s. Presented as a series of letters, it follows graduate student Jonathan Wells as he navigates the complexities of cellular physiology research and grapples with contradictory experimental results. The narrative explores themes of scientific inquiry and the philosophical implications of data handling, ultimately questioning the nature of knowledge and reality in the scientific process.