Serendipity: Accidental Discoveries in Science ebook

by Royston M. Roberts

Royston M. Roberts History and Philosophy English

Roberts, Royston M. Publication date. This book tells the fascinating stories of these and other discoveries and reveals how the inquisitive human mind turns accident into discovery.

Roberts, Royston M. Written for the layman, yet scientifically accurate, this illuminating collection of anecdotes portrays invention and discovery as quintessentially human acts, due in part to curiosity, perserverance, and luck.

Serendipity: Accidental . .has been added to your Cart. This book is a really fun read for the science enthusiast

Serendipity: Accidental . This book is a really fun read for the science enthusiast. But serendipity does not imply pure dumb luck, as the author explains, but rather "sagacity" is an important ingredient; these great scientists and inventors had the perspicuity and imagination to recognize the importance of their chance discoveries-i.

Start by marking Serendipity: Accidental Discoveries in Science as Want to Read: Want to Read savin. ant to Read.

Royston M. Roberts is the author of Serendipity: Accidental Discoveries in Science, published by Wiley.

270 pages, softcover from Wiley & Sons. Serendipity: Accidental Discoveries in Science (9780471602033) by Royston Roberts. Royston M.

Foreword by Sir Derek H R Barton. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books you've read. Whether you've loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them

Foreword by Sir Derek H R Barton. Categories: Science (General). Whether you've loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. 1. Заметки о преподавании истории в средней школе.

Some scientific discoveries come about after painstaking, goal-oriented lab work finally yields the result that a.

But many of the most incredible discoveries in world came about when someone found something they weren't looking for. In some cases, these are the result of a true accident. Lucky accidents have allowed people to discover unexpected but useful side effects from drugs, which is what happened with Viagra. Saccharine - the artificial sweetener in "Sweet'N Low" - was found by a Russian chemist who forgot to wash his hands after a days work.

A serendipitous discovery in science is often accidental, as its name implies. Some scientists try to design their experiments in a way that increases the chance of serendipity, though. Many discoveries in science are interesting and meaningful. A serendipitous discovery goes beyond this, however. It reveals a very surprising, often exciting, and frequently useful aspect of reality.

a b Roberts, Royston M. (1989). Serendipity: Accidental Discoveries in Science. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York. Accidental Genius: The World's Greatest By-Chance Discoveries. Gaughan, Richard (2010). ISBN 978-1-4351-2557-5. Velcro and Other Gifts from Serendipity for Modern Living

Royston M. Request permission to reuse content from this site. Velcro and Other Gifts from Serendipity for Modern Living. Conceptions, Misconceptions, and Accidents in OrganicSynthesis. Epilogue: How Accidents Become Discoveries.

As Plato said, "science is nothing but perception," and these 10 accidental acts of discovery embody the sentiment

As Plato said, "science is nothing but perception," and these 10 accidental acts of discovery embody the sentiment. Of course, it helps to be a leading scientist in the field-devoting your life to the pursuit of one cure, invention, or innovation-but a little luck goes a long way, too. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Forever enshrined in scientific legend, the discovery of penicillin-a group of antibiotics used to combat a variety of bacterial infections-is really just a case of dirty dishes

Many of the things discovered by accident are important in our everyday lives: Teflon, Velcro, nylon, x-rays, penicillin, safety glass, sugar substitutes, and polyethylene and other plastics. And we owe a debt to accident for some of our deepest scientific knowledge, including Newton's theory of gravitation, the Big Bang theory of Creation, and the discovery of DNA. Even the Rosetta Stone, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the ruins of Pompeii came to light through chance. This book tells the fascinating stories of these and other discoveries and reveals how the inquisitive human mind turns accident into discovery. Written for the layman, yet scientifically accurate, this illuminating collection of anecdotes portrays invention and discovery as quintessentially human acts, due in part to curiosity, perserverance, and luck.

Whitehammer

This book is a really fun read for the science enthusiast. The author, a researcher in organic chemistry, emphasizes the role played by chance in scientific discovery, "serendipity" as he titles the book, and as such he argues for a particular philosophy of science. But serendipity does not imply pure dumb luck, as the author explains, but rather "sagacity" is an important ingredient; these great scientists and inventors had the perspicuity and imagination to recognize the importance of their chance discoveries--i.e. that muck at the bottom of the flask had some truly intriguing properties!

The book is structured as a series of articles on serendipitous discoveries from the time of Archimedes right up into the late twentieth century. Sometimes romance and scientific legend are employed, especially in the early half of the book, in order to entertain and support the thesis of serendipity, but I think little is lost by such speculation. What I found most interesting about the book is that organic and industrial chemistry are emphasized in the content, probably owing to the author's background, rather than the usual more glamorous popular science fare of physics and medicine. As a result, much of the information is new to the more jaded science reader. I personally had never read the story of Joseph Priestly, who discovered of oxygen, the basic reactions of photosynthesis, and so many other marvelous discoveries, until I read this book! I find it amazing that Priestly receives nary a mention in the standard college science course, while a media clown like Einstein is instantly recognizable to the general public, most of whom could not even describe to you what he supposedly "discovered".

Contained herein are the stories of the discoveries of the various elements, iodine, the noble gases, safety glass, velcro, teflon and many other amazing products of human technology. The book is richly decorated, filled with illustrations, photographs, and cartoons. Part of what enticed me to read the book was a nice three dimensional structural formula of vitamin B12, the largest natural molecule ever synthesized de novo. There is something here for everone.

On the down side, I think perhaps the author brought in too much organic chemistry, some of it quite technical, for readers who have not taken organic chemistry before. Maybe trained scientists are the target audience, however, and his enthusiasm for his own field is understandable. And my own personal experiences with organic have lead me to believe that much of it is groping in the dark, so maybe the author's trade is no coincidence.

Dream

The main drawback is that it was published in 1989 and has not been updated since then. Historically, it has a lot of interesting information and details that I enjoyed reading about. I am a chemist, so the chemistry discussed was not a problem, but I'm not sure how other readers could follow several of the chapters.

Rocksmith

Fascinating details. It's setting on my coffee table. Truly enlightening and enriching.

LadyShlak

such fun reading; I love reading tidbits like this. Well presented and good collection of items and their "birth"

superstar

Good discussion of "Good Luck" and other 'serendipitous' events. Historical background is interesting.

Mettiarrb

A library copy was found on a public bus. Read part of it and returned it, deciding to get my own. This book shows how scientific discoveries are inspired (in-Spirit), as many elements must come together for an idea to materialize.

Quynaus

I'm satisfied.

It was great.