satt comments on What are some science mistakes you made in college? - Less Wrong Discussion
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Upvoted especially for noticing that "Be careful!" is unhelpfully vague, and bothering to think of a usably specific piece of advice.
The best technique I use for "being careful" is to imagine the ways something could go wrong (e.g., my fingers slip and I drop something, I trip on my feet/cord/stairs, I get distracted for second, etc.). By imagining the specific ways something can go wrong, I feel much less likely to make a mistake.
In the HUGR, I've included the advice "learn the sad stories of your lab as soon as possible" -- the most painful mistakes others, past and present, have made in the course of action. Helpful as a specific "ways things can go wrong" list.