Is science value of repeat experiments dependent on how results were retrieved?

[VirtualCLD]

This one question I had while following this thread: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/53170-Science-Question-When-How-do-diminished-returns-kick-in-with-radio-transmissions

Does the science value of performing the same experiment depend on how you sent the data back? If I lose the data attempting to recover it (i.e. vessel gets destroyed on landing), will I be unable to get the same amount of science I would have received the first time performed the experiment and failed to recover?

[Warsoul]

Same for me, exept my lander are stuck on minmus with my 1st minmus soil sample. If i destroy my sample or my lander; i lose for good my science earned by the first attempt ?

[Crush]

Any science activity loses value the moment you receive science points from it through recovery or transmission. When you don't do either and repeat the activity, it will still have the same value.

It isn't possible (to my knowledge) to devalue an experiment without receiving the science points for doing so.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Crush

[K^2]

Yes, best I can tell, there is so much Science in every type of experiment under particular condition, and you'll get the same amount regardless of how you carry out the experiments. If you choose to send data over, you'll have to repeat the experiment significantly more times, but you'll still get back the same amount total.

[Creat]

Crush said it already, just to be even clearer: You will NOT lose points for a experiment that was neither transmitted nor recovered (for example in a crash).

Diminished returns only kick in when you actually get the science points. You can easily test this out yourself by running (for example) goo in the same situation on the same vessel multiple times. It will always show "10 science" for Goo low kerbin orbit if you haven't done that yet, but if you recover a vessel with 4 goo canisters (which all showed 10 science as their value) it will recover as 10, 4.4, 2 and 0.9 respectively. So it also doesn't matter when that rocket gets destroyed as another one would've also shown 10 per can. Only once you transmit the data or recover it will the value of future experiments be adjusted.