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.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI think that your suggestion that serendipity is the result of a prepared mind coming across meaningful accidents is really accurate. In order for scientists to make serendipitous discoveries, they must be well informed so that they recognize the subtle hints that mistakes in the lab can give. I wholeheartedly agree that luck only helps in discoveries and that most of the credit goes to the scientist for their hard work and dedication.
I really liked you use of that Jefferson quote. It hit on your topic really well, and set up your post very nicely. However, I would like to see a little more separation of ideas. The single paragraph can be a little much to read at a time. Maybe you could split the post up next time and then elaborate a little more on each part.
Great job!
-Samantha Evert (Engl 1101-J5)
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. Excellent quote by Jefferson. I agree with your statement serendipity gets more credit than deserved. Serendipity should not be misinterpreted to the point where its true meaning is lost - an accidental discovery when searching for something else. I feel that serendipity is very prevalent in scientific research, but the example of penicillin has been almost exhausted in class discussions; maybe a different example would create a bit more excitement for the reader. Overall, well written post!
Zack A4
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that serendipity comes to those who work hard. The most famous examples of serendipity are those of hard workers such as scientists. I feel that you could have seperated your example of serendipity from your own thoughts on serendipity by creating a new paragraph. Other than that, this was a well written blog post.
-Danielle Overton
Finally, there is someone who thinks the same way as I do. Luck is overrated. Serendipity and luck are two different things, and I agree that it that it requires a level of ingenuity to make serendipitous discoveries. It may be luck that initiated a discovery, but intelligence is necessary to turn these lucky events into serendipitous ones. For example, as you stated, the medical discovery of Alexander Fleming could have easily been overlooked if it weren't for his inquisitive nature and sharp observational skills.
ReplyDeleteI felt like you put a lot of hard work into your post. It was well written and I enjoyed reading it. Great work!
-Chad Collins