We all have revered the inventors and discoverers of our generation and of the past. We have stood in awe of their ingenuity and brilliance and wondered how they must have inquired the logic that eventually led to the inventions. Their work ethic and ability to investigate the unknown is truly magnificent. If you let go of the apparent, there seem to be couple of notions of “unknown”.
The first one, is the “unknown” which is understood and defined but is awaiting computation. Just like the unknown variable “X” in the equation which requires calculus. As is the case, mostly always, an equation corroborates the underlying theory. For example, earlier it was believed that the Earth was the centre of the solar system and the other celestial bodies needed to perform a round trip around us. But with the grand entry of the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei and his mathematical genius, the fallacy was exposed and it was made evident that the Sun held the space rocks and gases around itself, courtesy its imposing magnetic field (In all fairness, it was Copernicus, the Polish scholar, to have discovered the phenomenon but proved mathematically by Galileo). Galileo’s discovery was based on his empirical studies and observations which enabled the computation of the “unknown”.
The second type of “unknown” is the “secret unknown”. It can be put up as “Not Known Unknown”. The discovery of this “Secret Unknown” or “Not Known Unknown” will need computation of the “unknown” which in the first place is “Not Known”. Now, how can somebody, no matter how excessively loaded in cognitive ability, attempt to compute the “Not Known Unknown”, which has been the cornerstone of largely all inventions? The answer to that is simply, “Serendipity”. Most of the inventors were computing the first type of “Defined Unknown”, while stumbling upon the second type of “Not Known Unknown” through pure chance, which is “Serendipity”. I’m not seeking to demean the inventors or discoverers, however, just bringing to fore the contribution of “chance” in our lives, through the serendipitous adventures of these great men and women.
“Luck favours the prepared”
Louis Pasteur
The term serendipity was coined by the writer Hugh Walpole, who borrowed it from a fairy tale “Three Princes of Serendip”. These three princes were always discovering things by accident and which were never intended to be discovered. Let’s make our own discovery.
Sir Alexander Fleming and Penicillin
Sir Alexander Fleming is credited with the discovery of the Penicillin in 1928. Earlier, at the time of his days in the Army medical corps as a Captain, Sir Fleming was terribly disappointed with the antiseptics that were used for the combat wounds. He mentioned in his research paper that the bacteria in deep wounds would proliferate despite the antiseptics. Many lives were lost due to infection extending to the other parts of the body, which began with a wound, acted upon by bacteria.
Later, during one of his experiments, Sir Fleming realised that the uncovered dish kept next to an open window became contaminated with mould spores. The effect was such that the bacteria in close proximity to the mould colonies were dying. Sir Fleming isolated the mould and identified it as a member of the Penicillium genus. He found it to be extremely effective against all bacteria which were responsible for diseases such as scarlet fever and pneumonia. Initially, the findings of his research were received with little enthusiasm by the medical fraternity. Perhaps, since he was never looking for “Penicillin” but ended up finding it. It was just an act of Serendipity.
It was also by fortunate choice that Sir Fleming began a career in research. While serving as a private in the regiment, Sir Fleming had become quite a recognised marksman. The regiment’s captain wanted him to join St. Mary’s rifle club and thus convinced Sir Fleming to choose “research” over “surgery”, for if he chose the latter, he would be required to leave the St. Mary’s Medical school and the rifle club. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that perhaps, the most important discovery in the field of medicine lay its roots in a shooting range. Serendipitously Ironic!
Arno Allan Penzias & Robert Woodrow Wilson and Cosmic Radiation
How would you react, if I narrate an anecdote which has a connection between Bird Poop and a discovery that is considered as the century’s greatest advances? Well, you guessed it right, you’d be quite amazed. In 1965, two radio astronomists at Bell Labs who were mounting a large antenna were bothered by a background noise. It was mostly like the static humming noise that you would hear after having a bad reception. Arno and Robert realised that the excrement of the birds could be interrupting the signal. They cleared the poop from the massive dish and waited for the reception to improve. Their exercise turned out to be futile. The noise didn’t subside. The technical experts were convinced that the disturbance caused had its roots in the bird defecation! After extensive revisits to eradicate the unnecessary intervention, eventually the two radio astronomists realised that the disturbance which they were hearing was infact, the trace of the birth of the universe! The Cosmic Background Microwave Radiation!
This discovery re-ignited the interest in the Big Bang Theory, an idea which was earlier postulated by many researchers. The discovery was so enormous that it fetched Penzias & Wilson, The Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978. The Milky Way through Bird Poop, the complete travelogue with Serendipity at work.
“Mysteries abound in places we seek for answers”
Ray Bradbury
Charles Townes and the LASER
It would be fair to say that, sometimes, Engineers’ develop tools for the pleasure of developing tools, which are mostly not intended to provide a solution to a problem. If you take, electronic connectivity for instance, the manner in which Internet is applied to practical life, it is certain that Tim Berners Lee never intended the technological breakthrough to change lives of so many people in the way it has. The network of networks, initially was conceptualized for serving an erudite gathering to share research work. Lee would have never believed the monster that Internet would transform itself into during its inception. It is classic example of Problem finding the Solution.
A better example would be of Charles Townes, the inventor of the LASER. The early applications of LASER was the surgical stitching of detached retinas. The invention has led to the restored eye sights of numerous people, who underwent laser surgery. Half a century later, The Economist asked Charles Townes if he had intended to reinstate retinas while working on the LASER phenomenon. Townes replied in the negative. Problem finds the Solution in mysterious ways. The only desire of Townes was to split beams when he was experimenting with the LASER light and he left it that. The applications for the tools find themselves. Although, not entirely serendipity with Charles Townes but it is pertinent to understand the role of performing the work with diligence and await the rewards to present themselves. Which brings me to the inference that I draw from the element of chance in life.
Inferences of Serendipity and how to avail their benefits
As a second helping, I’ll reiterate Louis Pasteur’s maxim “Luck favours the prepared”. It is important to keeping doing things that has newness to them. Monotonicity kills Serendipity. If the benefits of chance are to be availed then do not avoid a New Task. Different job and duties have their wonderful benefits that are hidden just like the “Not Known Unknowns” but for them to reveal themselves in the best of the lights, you will have to expose yourself without inhibition. Please do not steer clear of the path of serendipity. Keep doing things that excite you both in professional and personal life and nature will present you with gifts wrapped in mysterious cloaks. The greats have always been prepared and hence they were greats. Your greatness awaits you serendipitously, be prepared and do take a chance!
Thanks for reading.
