On this date (Jan 28) in the year 1754, the word serendipity was first coined. In a letter to Horace Mann, Horace Walpole said that he formed the word based on the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, in which the protagonists “were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of”. The word Serendip was an old name for Ceylon (called Sri Lanka nowadays).
According to our old friends Merriam-Webster, serendipity is either the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought after, or an instance or occurrence of this discovery. Noted philosopher and PBS painting guru, the late Bob Ross called them “happy little accidents”.
While I appreciate the accidental aspect of serendipity, it’s the oft-overlooked second aspect of serendipity that most intrigues me: sagacity. Accidents happen – and they often have surprisingly positive results – but it does take a certain amount of sagacity to recognize and capitalize on these positive results. It’s not enough to have your chocolate be dumped in my peanut butter… you have to be observant and clever enough to then call it a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup!
Historically there have been many examples of serendipity… here’s a quick “highlight reel” of discoveries and inventions that happened because someone had the presence of mind to jump on an accident and take advantage of it:
CHEMISTRY
1. Silly Putty
2. Teflon
3. Scotchgard
4. Cellophane
5. Rayon
6. Aspartame
PHARMACOLOGY
1. Penicillin
2. LSD
3. Minoxidil
4. Viagra
5. Nitrous oxide
PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY
1. Water displacement
2. Gravity
3. Electromagnetism
4. X-rays
5. High-temperature superconductivity
INVENTIONS
1. Vulcanization
2. Corn flakes
3. Microwave ovens
4. Slinky
5. Post-It Notes
And these are just the obvious ones… Don’t forget George Lucas discovering Harrison Ford, or Grog finding a fire burning a tree outside his cave, or that time when Janet checked in on her eHarmony account and saw an entry for yours truly!
Accidents have been a part of human existence since the very beginning. Fortunately, we have always had a few bright bulbs around who were able to take these accidents and do something positive with them. As I look around the world today and see the glut of ninnies, doofuses, and talk radio hosts we have, it makes me feel a little better to know that we have those few folks around with the sagacity to redeem some of these “happy little accidents.”