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Success and Serendipity
Serendipity, accident, happenstance, chance, luck, and
probability are all players in the world of cause and effect, but
what are they How do they present themselves in the structural
framework of cause and effect—or are they causes unto themselves This
is a question that has lingered in the back of my mind for years because
they are such a dominant part of the causal world. Without happenstance
and variability, I would not be writing this book nor would I have explored
the world of causation because everything would already be determined.
Before we get into the structure of these qualities, we need to
understand what they are, or at least how we use these words to help us
understand our world.
Serendipity Defined
“Serendipity” is a word coined by Horace Walpole (1754) taken from
a fairy tale “The Three Princes of Serendip.” As the story goes, the three
princes were always making pleasant discoveries by chance and keen
perception. (Note: Serendip is currently known as Sri Lanka.) Perhaps one
of the most famous modern examples of serendipity was the discovery
of Post-It® Notes where a researcher for 3M found a use for a failed glue
he had created.
The microwave oven was invented by Percy Spencer while testing a
magnetron for radar sets at Raytheon. During the test, he noticed that a
candy bar in his pocket had melted while he was standing in front of the
magnetron transmitter.
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