The Formulas We Can'T Agree On

While some formulas have long been agreed on, With specific weights and measures defining them, And as anyone who has failed an exam, Because they tried a formula previously proven unreliable, Will tell you, Tis wiser to have learnt them by heart, Than to rely on the one written on your shirt cuff, Not being a blot on future career prospects, There are some formulas that are still as elusive to us today, As they were to all those generations who came before. The problem has always been in duplicating them outside of the laboratory, Every person of note throughout recorded history has produced a formula, For success that nobody else has ever been able to duplicate. The same with formulas for longevity, happiness, a perfect night's sleep, Or one that allows us to stop drinking wine at a point where the effects, Are only beneficial. This leads me to the conclusion that some formulas, Are only meant for single use, And never to be entrusted to governments, Multinationals or those, Whose eye is always on the next sure thing.