In an ancient Persian fairytale, the King of the Island of Serendip (known now as Sri Lanka) sent out by his three sons to find happiness in the form of wealth and power. As the princes traveled around, they constantly made happy discoveries in unexpected places by chance or cleverness. Although the princes were not directly in quest of them, these discoveries brought the princes great happiness in their lives.
From this tale, Horace Walpole (1754) coined the word serendipity: the happening upon or making fortunate discoveries when not in search of them. Serendipity is a word we now use frequently to denote the unexpected discovery. According to the definition, you do not reach a destination by plotting a course there. You set out on a journey elsewhere, but the course of events leads you to a better, more fulfilling destination. Columbus' discovery of the Americas, for example, was a serendipitous discovery since he intended to find a new route to India.
The worlds of science, technology and exploration are all filled with serendipitous events. James Burke, in his Connections series of books and television documentaries, shows us how many important discoveries have been made, not by intent but by chance discoveries along the way, a juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated events.
For example, in the mid-nineteenth century, William Perkin was seeking a way to synthesize quinine from coal tar to combat the malaria affecting British soldiers in India. In the process of experimentation, he discovered the first aniline dyes. With these dyes colourful fabrics could be manufactured thus revolutionizing the fashion world in the 1860s. German chemists took this discovery to develop a chemical industry which eventually led to Germany's rise as a world power. In the meantime, while experimenting with new colours, they produced a new substance: aspirin.
Serendipity is also a fun way to improve your knowledge base and your life. I have had many such experiences in my personal life, the most interesting of which began with an interest in folk and protest music during the mid-1960s then led to studies of alternate health practices and changing lifestyles which ultimately led to this magazine 30 years later. Here is how it went.
In my teens while everyone was focused on Elvis, the Beach Boys and the Beatles, I was drawn to the records of the Kingston Trio, the Brothers Four and the New Christy Minstrels. Their music combined with the protest music of the civil rights movement drew me to the more traditional folk music played by Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston and others. This then led to my attending folk music festivals and seeking folk tales and folk art. As a meteorologist I was especially interested in the relationship between folk weather proverbs and weather forecasting. I read all I could on folklore and folk wisdom.
One of these books was titled Folk Medicine which described several folk remedies from Vermont. One, the use of apple cider vinegar as a gargle to cure sore throats, worked better for me that any patent medicine. Soon I was looking more into alternate ways of curing disease and, more importantly, increasing wellness. At this point my wife also became interested and for many years focused her career efforts on alternate health care and prevention. I looked deeper into the effects of pollution and the environment on health and stress. As a result my life began transforming from a scientist to an educator and writer on alternate lifestyles and the perils of our changing environment.
Another pathway, diverging from my scientific studies, focused on the process of creativity and problem solving. From these studies I learned that holistic, right-brain thinking complemented the logical left-brain thinking in the creative process. Both had to be present or the process was not completely effective. This opened another door in defining my life.
I now realize that the processes of formal education have become too structured and misguided, and therefore stifle the creative process. Programs follow a fairly set core of courses with choices mostly when reaching the point of specialization. Courses follow an outline from week one to the final exam with no room to wiggle, let alone to follow an interesting path of discovery.
Since learning to direct my own education, I have discovered that following the path of serendipity provides the most fun and the greatest and fastest gain in knowledge and wisdom. If I were in charge of curriculum at an institute of formal education, I would require every student to take Serendipity 101 as often as possible.
I will briefly outline my ideas for this course here. In it, the world is one instructor, the student, the other. In a formal educational setting, there would be a guide available to provide support and to facilitate discussions on the process.
In the initial period of the course, the student/explorer will experience as many different avenues as possible: browsing through the library, watching television specialty channels, listening to lectures or concerts; walking through museums, galleries, gardens and markets, or surfing the Internet. During this exploration period, the student should view all with an open mind and be alert to the one particular entity — thing, thought, experience — that grabs their attention. This will become the seed for Step Two.
Step Two will follow the initial link further in greater detail for a short time. The overall object is to follow the leads that most attract you. They may not necessarily be a linear progression to ever greater detail. For example, let us assume that in a trip to the library, you are strongly attracted to a piece of native art from the northern Pacific Coast of North America. From that lead you may pursue a study of the cultures of those people. Next you seek out books on the subject and visit galleries to view more works. In the process, you may hear some of the traditional music which may then spark an interest in the role of drums in different cultures. Further pursuit of this path uncovers an interest in learning drumming techniques.
During the exploration process, you should keep a travel journal of the paths taken and the feelings as you explore the nooks and crannies along the way. This journal is the place to record interesting facts, quotations, impressions, etc. that stood out along the path. After a time the path may lead to an extended period of intensive study of one subject or may just end. At this point, take time to review your notes, alone or with someone. Evaluate the experience. How did the process compare with other educational experiences, particularly with formal education? How enjoyable was the effort? How were you affected by the process? Was there another avenue which was also of interest?
At the end of such endeavours, I always feel alive and my spirits renewed, and I usually have had a great time along the way. I have also found that the process can be compressed into a shorter period of time and is a great cure for boredom or depression. In such a situation, open an encyclopedia at random and start reading, following any interesting leads.
I invite you to take Serendipity 101. If you feel you need more instructions, write me by email or regular mail at the address on the contents page. I would also love to hear from those completing a journey.