[pmontra]

That's how it went when I was solving problems at the Statistics course at university. I modeled the problem perfectly, got the wrong result. Changed assumptions, got the wrong result. Checked the solution, its reasoning didn't make much sense anyway. Run a simulation, got an approximate result close to the correct solution.

[dotancohen]

This sounds like the classic "tweak the model until the results fit with our preexisting conclusion". Very common across all industries unfortunately.

[zh3]

Also known in a derogatory fashion [0] as "adding epicycles" (after the Ptolemaic view of the heavens).

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deferent_and_epicycle#Bad_scie...