2006-09-23 16:53:21 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Of course not. However major discoveries which are serendipitous may be given more media coverage and attention because of their accidental nature.
There is a psychological term called illusory correlation. It means that when you pair two distinctive events, the human brain mistakenly associates the two even if there is not necessarily a relationship there, ie. one always goes with the other. I think that is what is happening here. You have one distinctive event - major discovery and the fact that it happened by accident, and your mind forms a relationship between the two.
2006-09-23 17:10:38 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. Mysterio 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Was it serendipitous that the philadelphia project found 2 different ways to build the bombs dropped on Japan? That's a matter of opinion...
2006-09-23 17:01:53 · answer #2 · answered by ERIC G 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why would you think that? Some discoveries are made after years of dedicated effort (scientific deiscoveries are an example of that)
Were you thinking about Columbus when you asked that?
2006-09-23 16:58:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Certainly not! Most of our discoveries come after years of dedicated research of a particular subject.
2006-09-23 17:02:13 · answer #4 · answered by i_sivan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Chance favors the prepared mind."
“Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity”
Both quotes are from Louis Pasteur... which do you prefer?
Aloha
2006-09-23 17:05:34 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋