Science may be about the wonder of nature, but having your career's work (and previously respected theory) disproved probably isn't an easy pill to swallow.
I can see how it's a hard pill to swallow, I just can't bring myself to sympathize. Of all the ways that the universe can possibly operate, we now know that it could be one less way. A life's work working on an incredibly beautiful theory is something to be proud of. Had less competent work been done, this failure might not have been taken seriously.
I would be unbelievably excited about what the future holds. The goals of science cannot hang on how people feel about their careers.
Precisely! And I imagine the scientific parts of them do.
But as someone with family formerly in university faculty tenure-track (circa-90s), the put-food-on-the-table part of your employment is tied up in politics. Being on the bubble for a tenure position you've worked 6-10 years towards? I would hope the department committee would be proud of my incredibly beautiful but disproved theory...
I would be unbelievably excited about what the future holds. The goals of science cannot hang on how people feel about their careers.