Serendipity or Mere Luck

Serendipity is the discovery of something unexpected while you were in search of something completely different. this idea has been present in many aspects of discoveries in technology, sciences, and education. Examples range from the discovery of the substance LSD to the antibiotic penecilin to the invention fo the Post-It note. However, one key element that has been argued on this concept is the effects of luck in these observations over mere scientific intellect or experimentiation. There does seem to be some form of coincidence or luck involved when making these ground-breaking discoveries because the experiments involved were actually not those that were directed towards the outcome in any way. There have also been accounts where the end result was actually what was expected, but it was not acctually thought to be able to work.

One point that has been made, which I believe is one of the key aspects of the argument for luck, is that the things discovered could have actually beed found by other means if that is what they were looking for. It is not that serendipity was the only way to find the many types of inventions we have; it is only considered serendipity because there was actually no work towards this outcome. Many argue that penicilin would have been discovered as an antibiotic if someone had been looking for it. This is why I belive that luck is a major contributor to serendipity, and a better addition to the definition from earlier should read that it is through the use of luck, as well as knowledge of the scientific principles that are present.

Good Old Serendipity

Serendipity can basically be defined as a delightful outcome from an accidental act or experiment. Many inventions that we take for granted now exist today due to serendipity. An example of one such invention is Play-Doh. Play-Doh is the modeling clay commonly used by toddlers which has sold more than 700 million pounds to consumers since its creation in 1955. This commonly used clay was accidentally created by Joseph and Noah McVicker in their pursuit to create wallpaper cleaner. Luck has always been a major component behind the accidental outcomes of serendipity. If inventors weren’t trying to make a substance but discovered it accidentally, such as the creators of Play-Doh, then they truly were lucky.
However, to just discover the invention is not the reason so many inventions have been successful after serendipity. It is the intelligence of human beings to utilize and embrace their pleasant surprises that allows their inventions to reach a truly successful status. Without the ingenuity of these inventors to market and truly understand their inventions, it might as well have been like the invention never existed in the first place. Serendipity itself has had broad and various effects on society all around the world as we know it. For example, scientists have often come across answers to questions they weren’t looking to answer by pure accident. They come across these things and don’t ignore it, but utilize it in their studies. Another example on the effects of serendipity on society is sports. One athlete in particular, Ronaldo, was found accidentally by recruiters of the Portuguese soccer club Sporting CP when they were scouting out another player on his team. These accidental talent recruits have proved to be phenomenal in diversifying and supplementing the talent on sports teams everywhere. These are some examples of how serendipity has affected different cultural aspects of our society.

Luck, Skill, & Serendipity

Thomas Jefferson once said, “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it”. I think this is equally applicable to the concept of serendipity. There is definitely an uncontrollable element to it, as with almost every human endeavor, but overall, serendipity is the coming together of a ton of preparation. It may take a little push from fate, or God, or luck, but one cannot expect things to serendipitously happen to them without putting in some serious effort. Many people will attribute more to serendipity than is due.  They would argue that it is the pivot on which many findings hang. Yet while discovery is born of curiosity and circumstance, it will not be converted into anything meaningful (in fact, it may not even be recognized) if the discoverer is not ready. Luck or chance may hand you an opportunity, but it is your own work and character that will turn that into a discovery. The discovery of penicillin was serendipitous in that the incredibly useful drug was discovered when a scientist was seeking a treatment for ulcers. After Alexander Fleming left his lab in a mess while he went on vacation, mold grew on some of his samples. Upon his return, he observed and continued to experiment with the mold and bacteria he found. Quite easily, he could have simply thrown out the moldy samples, but his inquisitive nature and sharp observational skill instead led to a revolutionary medicinal discovery. 

Serendipity: Luck or Intelligence?

Serendipity happens when someone finds something for which they weren’t looking. This phenomenon is very present in the scientific world, as many experiments end up being applicable in other areas of science. This is especially common in the field of chemistry, where penicillin is just one example of a chemical product made in a serendipitous discovery. Even though serendipity can be described as “luck,” serendipity in the scientific world is also partially a result of intelligence and education. Even though the person who discovered penicillin was not looking for it, he still had to realize that the substance he created had antibiotic properties. He also had to realize the connection that these properties were applicable in the medicinal world. Without proper knowledge of both chemicals and human biology, he would have had no idea that the compound that he created is significant in the treatment of illnesses, or how to use this chemical. Serendipitous discovery can show someone what they were not looking for, but the person who discovers it ultimately has to realize the practical application of what he just discovered, and often this takes both training and knowledge.

Another thing that is important for serendipitous discovery, especially in science, is that the researcher must have an open mind. This takes more training than one would think. Too often people work on an experiment and only look for the result that they expect, while ignoring every other possible result. This is a huge problem because it leaves many possibilities that could end up being valuable unexplored. If the person who discovered penicillin was not open to any results other than the ones he expected in the experiment then the antibiotic would have never been discovered.