Home » Science & Nature » Science Websites » Serendipity

Serendipity

© Zany

"Serendipity" is defined as "the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident." Serendipitous discoveries happen in science.

The web site Alfred Nobel relates his serendipitous discovery of blasting gel. Nobel was looking for a substance to mix with nitroglycerin. His aim was to produce a safe explosive without diluting the power of nitroglycerin. Luckily, Nobel cut his finger. He applied a collodion (a solution of pyroxylin in ether and ethanol) to the cut. His finger was hurting him so much that he couldn't think of anything else. He then got the idea of mixing collodion with nitroglycerin to produce the first blasting gelatin, a safe but powerful explosive.

Serendipity Science and Discoveries lists other scientific discoveries that are regarded as lucky accidents. Columbus discovered America while looking for the Orient. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone due to an accident. Charles Goodyear invented vulcanization after dropping a piece of rubber with sulfur on it into the stove. George deMestral invented Velcro^® after looking more closely at the cockleburs stuck to his clothing.

What about Joseph Priestley ? The web site calls him a tinkerer, who with no formal training as a scientist happened upon some important scientific discoveries. What did he just stumble across? Quoting from the web site:

Priestley discovered that graphite was a conductor of electricity, isolated and described the properties of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and oxygen, invented soda pop, identified the gases involved in plant respiration (unifying chemistry and biology), and observed photosynthesis for the first time."

Oh, and don't forget he also invented the eraser or rubber at the end of your pencil.

Serendipitous discoveries happen all the time. Take, for example, research done by NASA to make a greenhouse that can be used in space. The problem was that ethylene (C₂H₄), which is released by plants and which helps ripen fruit and vegetables, builds up in the confined quarters of a spaceship. This causes the plants to ripen too soon. How did they solve the problem?

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that exposing ultra-thin layers of TiO₂2 and water. That solved the spaceship problem. While they were doing the test, they discovered that it also destroyed airborne dust mites. This led to the development of a product called AiroCide TiO₂. This product or device can be installed on the ceiling of an office and annihilate airborne pathogens such as anthrax.

The copyright of the article Serendipity in Science Websites is owned by Zany. Permission to republish Serendipity in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.