CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Serendipity - Wikipedia</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikimwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy", "wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"eb38da3e-7b80-42ab-863e-e560877ce2c0","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Serendipity","wgTitle":"Serendipity","wgCurRevisionId":1259046080,"wgRevisionId":1259046080,"wgArticleId":27006,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list","Webarchive template wayback links","CS1 maint: location missing publisher","Articles with short description","Short description is different from Wikidata","Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images","Commons category link from Wikidata","Philosophy of science","Scientific method","Inventions","Luck","Creativity Management","Cognitive psychology","Sociology"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel": "wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Serendipity","wgRelevantArticleId":27006,"wgIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgNoticeProject":"wikipedia","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive":false,"wgFlaggedRevsParams":{"tags":{"status":{"levels":1}}},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsFlags":0,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":false,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":20000,"wgRelatedArticlesCompat":[],"wgCentralAuthMobileDomain":false,"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true,"wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q166039","wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness", "fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"GEHomepageSuggestedEditsEnableTopics":true,"wgGETopicsMatchModeEnabled":false,"wgGEStructuredTaskRejectionReasonTextInputEnabled":false,"wgGELevelingUpEnabledForUser":false};RLSTATE={"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready","user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","jquery.makeCollapsible.styles":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","mediawiki.page.media","site","mediawiki.page.ready","jquery.makeCollapsible","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips", "ext.gadget.switcher","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.popups","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth","ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming","ext.uls.interface","ext.cx.eventlogging.campaigns","ext.cx.uls.quick.actions","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","ext.growthExperiments.SuggestedEditSession","wikibase.sidebar.tracking"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cjquery.makeCollapsible.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.4"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Horace_Walpole.jpg/1200px-Horace_Walpole.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1516"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Horace_Walpole.jpg/800px-Horace_Walpole.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="800"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1011"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Horace_Walpole.jpg/640px-Horace_Walpole.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="640"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="808"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="Serendipity - Wikipedia"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit this page" href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikipedia (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikipedia Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Serendipity rootpage-Serendipity skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-menu mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-menu"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Main menu</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z"><span>Main page</span></a></li><li id="n-contents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents" title="Guides to browsing Wikipedia"><span>Contents</span></a></li><li id="n-currentevents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Current_events" title="Articles related to current events"><span>Current events</span></a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Visit a randomly selected article [x]" accesskey="x"><span>Random article</span></a></li><li id="n-aboutsite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About" title="Learn about Wikipedia and how it works"><span>About Wikipedia</span></a></li><li id="n-contactpage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us" title="How to contact Wikipedia"><span>Contact us</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-interaction" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-interaction" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Contribute </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia"><span>Help</span></a></li><li id="n-introduction" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" title="Learn how to edit Wikipedia"><span>Learn to edit</span></a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal" title="The hub for editors"><span>Community portal</span></a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]" accesskey="r"><span>Recent changes</span></a></li><li id="n-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard" title="Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia"><span>Upload file</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <span class="mw-logo-container skin-invert"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikipedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" style="width: 7.5em; height: 1.125em;"> <img class="mw-logo-tagline" alt="The Free Encyclopedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg" width="117" height="13" style="width: 7.3125em; height: 0.8125em;"> </span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia" aria-label="Search Wikipedia" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-appearance mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-appearance"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Appearance</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en" class=""><span>Donate</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Serendipity" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class=""><span>Create account</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Serendipity" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o" class=""><span>Log in</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="Log in and more options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-ellipsis mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-ellipsis"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Personal tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en"><span>Donate</span></a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Serendipity" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-userAdd mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-userAdd"></span> <span>Create account</span></a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Serendipity" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-logIn mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-logIn"></span> <span>Log in</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing"><span>learn more</span></a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y"><span>Contributions</span></a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Etymology" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Etymology"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>Etymology</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Etymology-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Applications" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Applications"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Applications</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Applications-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Applications subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Applications-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Inventions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Inventions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Inventions</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Inventions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Discoveries" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Discoveries"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Discoveries</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Discoveries-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Online_activity" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Online_activity"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>Online activity</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Online_activity-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Related_terms" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Related_terms"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Related terms</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Related_terms-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Further_reading" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Further_reading"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Further reading</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Further_reading-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Serendipity</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 33 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-33" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">33 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9" title="سرنديبية – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="سرنديبية" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8" title="Серендипити – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Серендипити" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipitat" title="Serendipitat – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Serendipitat" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipita" title="Serendipita – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Serendipita" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipitet" title="Serendipitet – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Serendipitet" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity" title="Serendipity – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Serendipity" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juhuslik_avastus" title="Juhuslik avastus – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Juhuslik avastus" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%A3%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B5%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%AF%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%84%CF%85" title="Σερεντίπιτυ – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Σερεντίπιτυ" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipia" title="Serendipia – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Serendipia" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipo" title="Serendipo – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Serendipo" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipia" title="Serendipia – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Serendipia" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%86_%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%81%DB%8C" title="یافتن تصادفی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="یافتن تصادفی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9rendipit%C3%A9" title="Sérendipité – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Sérendipité" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%84%B8%EB%9F%B0%EB%94%94%ED%94%BC%ED%8B%B0" title="세런디피티 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="세런디피티" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipitas" title="Serendipitas – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Serendipitas" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipit%C3%A0" title="Serendipità – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Serendipità" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%A8%D7%A0%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA" title="סרנדיפיות – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="סרנדיפיות" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9letlenszer%C5%B1_felfedez%C3%A9s" title="Véletlenszerű felfedezés – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Véletlenszerű felfedezés" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mt mw-list-item"><a href="https://mt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipit%C3%A0" title="Serendipità – Maltese" lang="mt" hreflang="mt" data-title="Serendipità" data-language-autonym="Malti" data-language-local-name="Maltese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Malti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipiteit" title="Serendipiteit – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Serendipiteit" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%BB%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%83%94%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3" title="セレンディピティ – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="セレンディピティ" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipitet" title="Serendipitet – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Serendipitet" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pnb mw-list-item"><a href="https://pnb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%A8%DB%8C" title="سراندیبی – Western Punjabi" lang="pnb" hreflang="pnb" data-title="سراندیبی" data-language-autonym="پنجابی" data-language-local-name="Western Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>پنجابی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity" title="Serendipity – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Serendipity" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipidade" title="Serendipidade – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Serendipidade" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipitate" title="Serendipitate – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Serendipitate" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BF%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C" title="Серендипность – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Серендипность" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipisyys" title="Serendipisyys – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Serendipisyys" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipitet" title="Serendipitet – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Serendipitet" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%A8%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%80%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D" title="சேரந்தீவம் – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="சேரந்தீவம்" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BF%D0%BD%D1%96%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C" title="Серендипність – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Серендипність" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ur mw-list-item"><a href="https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%A8%DB%8C" title="سراندیبی – Urdu" lang="ur" hreflang="ur" data-title="سراندیبی" data-language-autonym="اردو" data-language-local-name="Urdu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>اردو</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%84%8F%E5%A4%96%E5%8F%91%E7%8E%B0" title="意外发现 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="意外发现" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q166039#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Serendipity" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Article</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Serendipity" rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" accesskey="t"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">English</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Serendipity"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Serendipity"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-edit" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=history"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Serendipity" title="List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]" accesskey="j"><span>What links here</span></a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Serendipity" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k"><span>Related changes</span></a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="t-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q"><span>Special pages</span></a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&oldid=1259046080" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page"><span>Permanent link</span></a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=info" title="More information about this page"><span>Page information</span></a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Serendipity&id=1259046080&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page"><span>Cite this page</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSerendipity"><span>Get shortened URL</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSerendipity"><span>Download QR code</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Serendipity&action=show-download-screen" title="Download this page as a PDF file"><span>Download as PDF</span></a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p"><span>Printable version</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-commons mw-list-item"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Serendipity" hreflang="en"><span>Wikimedia Commons</span></a></li><li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikiquote mw-list-item"><a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Serendipity" hreflang="en"><span>Wikiquote</span></a></li><li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q166039" title="Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]" accesskey="g"><span>Wikidata item</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Unplanned, fortunate discovery</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Serendipity_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="Serendipity (disambiguation)">Serendipity (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"Happy accident" redirects here. For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Happy_Accidents_(disambiguation)" class="mw-redirect mw-disambig" title="Happy Accidents (disambiguation)">Happy Accidents</a>.</div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Horace_Walpole.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Horace_Walpole.jpg/120px-Horace_Walpole.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="152" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Horace_Walpole.jpg/180px-Horace_Walpole.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Horace_Walpole.jpg/240px-Horace_Walpole.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1216" data-file-height="1536" /></a><figcaption>Horace Walpole<br /> by <a href="/wiki/Joshua_Reynolds" title="Joshua Reynolds">Joshua Reynolds</a></figcaption></figure><figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Robert_Merton_(1965).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Robert_Merton_%281965%29.jpg/120px-Robert_Merton_%281965%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="141" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Robert_Merton_%281965%29.jpg/180px-Robert_Merton_%281965%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Robert_Merton_%281965%29.jpg/240px-Robert_Merton_%281965%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="768" data-file-height="900" /></a><figcaption>Robert K. Merton 1965</figcaption></figure> <p><b>Serendipity</b> is an unplanned fortunate discovery.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The term was coined by <a href="/wiki/Horace_Walpole" title="Horace Walpole">Horace Walpole</a> in 1754. </p><p>The concept is often associated with scientific and technological breakthroughs, where accidental discoveries led to new insights or inventions. Many significant discoveries in history were serendipitous, including penicillin, Post-it notes, Viagra, and the microwave, arising from unforeseen circumstances that were then recognized and capitalized upon.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>While serendipity in popular usage is often understood as a matter of pure chance, scientific discussions emphasize the crucial role of human agency—recognizing, interpreting, and acting upon unexpected opportunities. This interaction between chance and conscious action has been a key theme in areas such as creativity, leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship.<sup id="cite_ref-TSM_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-TSM-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Christian_Busch_(management_scientist)" title="Christian Busch (management scientist)">Christian Busch</a> views serendipity as "active luck", where chance encounters and human action come together. A missed flight or a casual walk in the park can lead to new friendships, interests, or even career opportunities.<sup id="cite_ref-TTS_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-TTS-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-TSM_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-TSM-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Etymology">Etymology</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Etymology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The first noted use of "serendipity" was by <a href="/wiki/Horace_Walpole" title="Horace Walpole">Horace Walpole</a> on 28 January 1754. In a letter he wrote to his friend <a href="/wiki/Sir_Horace_Mann,_1st_Baronet" title="Sir Horace Mann, 1st Baronet">Horace Mann</a>, Walpole explained an unexpected discovery he had made about a <a href="/wiki/Lost_artworks" title="Lost artworks">lost painting</a> of <a href="/wiki/Bianca_Cappello" title="Bianca Cappello">Bianca Cappello</a> by <a href="/wiki/Giorgio_Vasari" title="Giorgio Vasari">Giorgio Vasari</a><sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> by reference to a Persian fairy tale, <i><a href="/wiki/The_Three_Princes_of_Serendip" title="The Three Princes of Serendip">The Three Princes of Serendip</a></i>. The princes, he told his correspondent, were "always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of."<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The name comes from <i><a href="/wiki/Names_of_Sri_Lanka#Serendip" title="Names of Sri Lanka">Serendip</a></i>, an old Persian name for <a href="/wiki/Sri_Lanka" title="Sri Lanka">Sri Lanka</a> (Ceylon), hence <i>Sarandib</i> by Arab traders.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It is derived from the Sanskrit <i>Siṃhaladvīpaḥ</i> (Siṃhalaḥ, Sinhalese + dvīpaḥ, island).<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The word has been exported into many other languages, with the general meaning of "unexpected discovery" or "fortunate chance".<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Applications">Applications</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Applications"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Inventions">Inventions</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Inventions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237032888/mw-parser-output/.tmulti">.mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{display:flex;flex-direction:row;clear:left;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{margin:1px;float:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .theader{clear:both;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;align-self:center;background-color:transparent;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbcaption{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-left{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-right{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-center{text-align:center}@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:none!important;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner img{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner img{background-color:white}}</style><div class="thumb tmulti tright"><div class="thumbinner multiimageinner" style="width:591px;max-width:591px"><div class="trow"><div class="theader" style="text-align:center">Serendipitous inventions</div></div><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:88px;max-width:88px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:89px;overflow:hidden"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Post-it-note-white-bg.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Post-it-note-white-bg.jpg/86px-Post-it-note-white-bg.jpg" decoding="async" width="86" height="90" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Post-it-note-white-bg.jpg/129px-Post-it-note-white-bg.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Post-it-note-white-bg.jpg/172px-Post-it-note-white-bg.jpg 2x" data-file-width="556" data-file-height="580" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption text-align-center"><a href="/wiki/Post-It_Note" class="mw-redirect" title="Post-It Note">Post-It Note</a></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:137px;max-width:137px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:89px;overflow:hidden"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Velcro_Loops.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Velcro_Loops.jpg/135px-Velcro_Loops.jpg" decoding="async" width="135" height="90" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Velcro_Loops.jpg/203px-Velcro_Loops.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Velcro_Loops.jpg/270px-Velcro_Loops.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2516" data-file-height="1678" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption text-align-center"><a href="/wiki/Velcro" title="Velcro">Velcro</a></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:69px;max-width:69px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:89px;overflow:hidden"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Silly_putty_dripping.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Silly_putty_dripping.jpg/67px-Silly_putty_dripping.jpg" decoding="async" width="67" height="89" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Silly_putty_dripping.jpg/101px-Silly_putty_dripping.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Silly_putty_dripping.jpg/134px-Silly_putty_dripping.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1536" data-file-height="2048" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption text-align-center"><a href="/wiki/Silly_Putty" title="Silly Putty">Silly Putty</a></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:174px;max-width:174px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:89px;overflow:hidden"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Popsicle_The_Original_Brand.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Popsicle_The_Original_Brand.svg/172px-Popsicle_The_Original_Brand.svg.png" decoding="async" width="172" height="90" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Popsicle_The_Original_Brand.svg/258px-Popsicle_The_Original_Brand.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Popsicle_The_Original_Brand.svg/344px-Popsicle_The_Original_Brand.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="267" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption text-align-center"><a href="/wiki/Popsicle_(brand)" title="Popsicle (brand)">Popsicle</a></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:113px;max-width:113px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:89px;overflow:hidden"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Sample_of_penicillin_mould_presented_by_Alexander_Fleming_to_Douglas_Macleod,_1935_(9672239344).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Sample_of_penicillin_mould_presented_by_Alexander_Fleming_to_Douglas_Macleod%2C_1935_%289672239344%29.jpg/111px-Sample_of_penicillin_mould_presented_by_Alexander_Fleming_to_Douglas_Macleod%2C_1935_%289672239344%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="111" height="90" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Sample_of_penicillin_mould_presented_by_Alexander_Fleming_to_Douglas_Macleod%2C_1935_%289672239344%29.jpg/167px-Sample_of_penicillin_mould_presented_by_Alexander_Fleming_to_Douglas_Macleod%2C_1935_%289672239344%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Sample_of_penicillin_mould_presented_by_Alexander_Fleming_to_Douglas_Macleod%2C_1935_%289672239344%29.jpg/222px-Sample_of_penicillin_mould_presented_by_Alexander_Fleming_to_Douglas_Macleod%2C_1935_%289672239344%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4684" data-file-height="3796" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption text-align-center"><a href="/wiki/Penicillin" title="Penicillin">Penicillin</a></div></div></div></div></div><p> The term "serendipity" is often applied to inventions made by chance rather than intent. Andrew Smith, editor of <i>The</i> <i>Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink</i>, has speculated that most everyday products had serendipitous roots, with many early ones related to animals. The origin of cheese, for example, possibly originated in the <a href="/wiki/Nomad" title="Nomad">nomad</a> practice of storing milk in the stomach of a dead camel that was attached to the saddle of a live one, thereby mixing <a href="/wiki/Rennet" title="Rennet">rennet</a> from the stomach with the milk stored within.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Other examples of serendipity in inventions include: </p> <ul><li>The <a href="/wiki/Post-It_Note" class="mw-redirect" title="Post-It Note">Post-It Note</a>, which emerged after <a href="/wiki/3M" title="3M">3M</a> scientist <a href="/wiki/Spencer_Silver" title="Spencer Silver">Spencer Silver</a> produced a weak adhesive, and a colleague used it to keep bookmarks in place on a church hymnal.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_15-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Silly_Putty" title="Silly Putty">Silly Putty</a>, which came from a failed attempt at <a href="/wiki/Synthetic_rubber" title="Synthetic rubber">synthetic rubber</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_15-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The use of sensors to prevent automobile <a href="/wiki/Air_bag" class="mw-redirect" title="Air bag">air bags</a> from killing children, which came from a chair developed by the <a href="/wiki/MIT_Media_Lab" title="MIT Media Lab">MIT Media Lab</a> for a <a href="/wiki/Penn_%26_Teller" title="Penn & Teller">Penn and Teller</a> magic show.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_15-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The <a href="/wiki/Microwave_oven" title="Microwave oven">microwave oven</a>. <a href="/wiki/Raytheon" title="Raytheon">Raytheon</a> scientist <a href="/wiki/Percy_Spencer" title="Percy Spencer">Percy Spencer</a> first patented the idea behind it after noticing that emissions from radar equipment had melted the candy in his pocket.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The <a href="/wiki/Velcro" title="Velcro">Velcro</a> hook-and-loop fastener. <a href="/wiki/George_de_Mestral" title="George de Mestral">George de Mestral</a> came up with the idea after a bird hunting trip when he viewed <a href="/wiki/Xanthium" title="Xanthium">cockleburs</a> stuck to his pants under a microscope and saw that each burr was covered with tiny hooks.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The <a href="/wiki/Popsicle_(brand)" title="Popsicle (brand)">Popsicle</a>, whose origins go back to San Francisco where Frank Epperson, age 11, accidentally left a mix of water and soda powder outside to freeze overnight.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The polymer <a href="/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene" title="Polytetrafluoroethylene">teflon</a>, which Roy J. Plunkett observed forming a white mass inside a pressure bottle during an effort to make a new <a href="/wiki/Refrigerant" title="Refrigerant">CFCs refrigerant</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The antibiotic <a href="/wiki/Penicillin" title="Penicillin">penicillin</a>, which was discovered by <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Fleming" title="Alexander Fleming">Sir Alexander Fleming</a> after returning from a vacation to find that a Petri dish containing <a href="/wiki/Staphylococcus" title="Staphylococcus">staphylococcus</a> culture had been infected by a <i>Penicillium</i> mold, and no bacteria grew near it.<sup id="cite_ref-alexanderfleming_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-alexanderfleming-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The effect on humans of the psychedelic <a href="/wiki/Lysergic_acid_diethylamide" class="mw-redirect" title="Lysergic acid diethylamide">lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)</a> was discovered by Swiss chemist <a href="/wiki/Albert_Hofmann" title="Albert Hofmann">Albert Hofmann</a> in 1943, after unintentionally ingesting an unknown amount, possibly absorbing it through his skin.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Discoveries">Discoveries</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Discoveries"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Semachrysa_jade_female_habitus_(Morphbank_791597)_-_ZooKeys-214-001-g002.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="The serendipitous discovery of the Malasian ''[[Semachrysa jade]]'' [[lacewing]]as a new species was made on [[Flickr]]" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Semachrysa_jade_female_habitus_%28Morphbank_791597%29_-_ZooKeys-214-001-g002.jpg/220px-Semachrysa_jade_female_habitus_%28Morphbank_791597%29_-_ZooKeys-214-001-g002.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="133" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Semachrysa_jade_female_habitus_%28Morphbank_791597%29_-_ZooKeys-214-001-g002.jpg/330px-Semachrysa_jade_female_habitus_%28Morphbank_791597%29_-_ZooKeys-214-001-g002.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Semachrysa_jade_female_habitus_%28Morphbank_791597%29_-_ZooKeys-214-001-g002.jpg/440px-Semachrysa_jade_female_habitus_%28Morphbank_791597%29_-_ZooKeys-214-001-g002.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1512" data-file-height="913" /></a><figcaption>The serendipitous discovery of a new species of <a href="/wiki/Lacewing" class="mw-redirect" title="Lacewing">lacewing</a>, <i><a href="/wiki/Semachrysa_jade" title="Semachrysa jade">Semachrysa jade</a></i>, was made on <a href="/wiki/Flickr" title="Flickr">Flickr</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Serendipity contributed to entomologist Shaun Winterton discovering <i><a href="/wiki/Semachrysa_jade" title="Semachrysa jade">Semachrysa jade</a></i>, a new species of <a href="/wiki/Neuroptera" title="Neuroptera">lacewing</a>, which he found not in its native Malaysia, but on the photo-sharing site <a href="/wiki/Flickr" title="Flickr">Flickr</a>. Winterton's discovery was aided by Flickr's ability to present images that are personalized to a user's interests, thereby increasing the odds he would chance upon the photo. Computer scientist <a href="/wiki/Jaime_Teevan" title="Jaime Teevan">Jaime Teevan</a> has argued that serendipitous discovery is promoted by such personalisation, writing that "people don't know what to do with random new information. Instead, we want information that is at the fringe of what we already know, because that is when we have the cognitive structures to make sense of the new ideas."<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Online_activity">Online activity</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Online activity"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Serendipity is a design principle for online activity that would present viewpoints that diverge from those participants already hold. Harvard Law professor <a href="/wiki/Cass_Sunstein" title="Cass Sunstein">Cass Sunstein</a> argues that such an "architecture of serendipity" would promote a healthier democracy. Like a great city or university, "a well-functioning information market" provides exposure to new ideas, people, and ways of life. "Serendipity is crucial because it expands your horizons. You need that if you want to be free."<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The idea has potential application in the design of social media, information searches, and web browsing.<sup id="cite_ref-:2_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:2-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Related_terms"><span class="anchor" id="Zemblanity"></span><span class="anchor" id="Bahramdipity"></span>Related terms</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Related terms"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Several uncommonly used terms have been derived from the concept and name of serendipity. </p><p><a href="/wiki/William_Boyd_(writer)" title="William Boyd (writer)">William Boyd</a> coined the term <b>zemblanity</b> in the late twentieth century to mean somewhat the opposite of serendipity: "making unhappy, unlucky and expected discoveries occurring by design". The derivation is speculative, but believed to be from <a href="/wiki/Novaya_Zemlya" title="Novaya Zemlya">Nova Zembla</a>, a barren archipelago once the site of Russian nuclear testing.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><b>Bahramdipity</b> is derived directly from <a href="/wiki/Bahram_V" title="Bahram V">Bahram Gur</a> as characterized in <i><a href="/wiki/The_Three_Princes_of_Serendip" title="The Three Princes of Serendip">The Three Princes of Serendip</a></i>. It describes the <i>suppression</i> of serendipitous discoveries or research results by powerful individuals.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In addition, Solomon & Bronstein (2018) further distinguish between perceptual and realised <b>pseudo-serendipity</b> and <b>nemorinity</b>.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Browse" class="mw-redirect" title="Browse">Browse</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coincidence" title="Coincidence">Coincidence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Felix_culpa" title="Felix culpa">Felix culpa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Insight" title="Insight">Insight</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lateral_thinking" title="Lateral thinking">Lateral thinking</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Multiple_discovery" title="Multiple discovery">Multiple discovery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Role_of_chance_in_scientific_discoveries" title="Role of chance in scientific discoveries">Role of chance in scientific discoveries</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Serendipaceratops" title="Serendipaceratops">Serendipaceratops</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Serendipity_Sapphire" title="Serendipity Sapphire">Serendipity Sapphire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Side_effect" title="Side effect">Side effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Synchronicity" title="Synchronicity">Synchronicity</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170711222514/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/serendipity">"Serendipity"</a>. <i>Oxford Living Dictionaries</i>. Oxford University Press. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/serendipity">the original</a> on July 11, 2017<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">23 April</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Oxford+Living+Dictionaries&rft.atitle=Serendipity&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fen.oxforddictionaries.com%2Fdefinition%2Fserendipity&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">de Rond, M. (2014). ‘The structure of serendipity’. Culture and Organization, 20, 342–58</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Copeland, S. (2018). <span style="padding-right:.15em;">"</span>'Fleming leapt on the unusual like a weasel on a vole': challenging the paradigms of discovery in science". <i>Perspectives on Science</i> 26, pp. 694–721.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFVuong2022" class="citation book cs1">Vuong, Quan-Hoang (2022). <i>A New Theory of Serendipity: Nature, Emergence and Mechanism</i>. Walter de Gruyter. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788366675582" title="Special:BookSources/9788366675582"><bdi>9788366675582</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=A+New+Theory+of+Serendipity%3A+Nature%2C+Emergence+and+Mechanism&rft.pub=Walter+de+Gruyter&rft.date=2022&rft.isbn=9788366675582&rft.aulast=Vuong&rft.aufirst=Quan-Hoang&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-TSM-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-TSM_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-TSM_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/serendipity-mindset-art-science-creating-good-luck/24530/">"Christian Busch: The Serendipity Mindset: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck"</a>. <i>Next Big Idea Club</i>. Book: New York: Penguin Random House 2020.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Dew, N. (2009). "Serendipity in entrepreneurship". <i>Organization Studies</i> 30, pp. 735–753.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Race, T. M. and Makri, S. (2016). <i>Accidental Information Discovery: Cultivating Serendipity in the Digital Age</i>. London: Elsevier.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-TTS-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-TTS_8-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBusch2024" class="citation journal cs1">Busch, Christian (2024-05-01). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.12890">"Towards a Theory of Serendipity: A Systematic Review and Conceptualization"</a>. <i>Journal of Management Studies</i>. <b>61</b> (3): 1110–1151. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjoms.12890">10.1111/joms.12890</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0022-2380">0022-2380</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Management+Studies&rft.atitle=Towards+a+Theory+of+Serendipity%3A+A+Systematic+Review+and+Conceptualization&rft.volume=61&rft.issue=3&rft.pages=1110-1151&rft.date=2024-05-01&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1111%2Fjoms.12890&rft.issn=0022-2380&rft.aulast=Busch&rft.aufirst=Christian&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com%2Fdoi%2F10.1111%2Fjoms.12890&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSilvia_Davoli2018" class="citation web cs1">Silvia Davoli (2 July 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk/the-creation-of-serendipity/">"The creation of the word 'serendipity'<span class="cs1-kern-right"></span>"</a>. Strawberry Hill House & Garden. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180706091429/http://www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk/the-creation-of-serendipity/">Archived</a> from the original on 2018-07-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+creation+of+the+word+%27serendipity%27&rft.pub=Strawberry+Hill+House+%26+Garden&rft.date=2018-07-02&rft.au=Silvia+Davoli&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk%2Fthe-creation-of-serendipity%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span> Strawberry Hill Treasure Hunt.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRemer1965" class="citation book cs1">Remer, Theodore G., ed. (1965). <i>Serendipity and the Three Princes, from the Peregrinaggio of 1557</i>. Edited, with an Introduction and Notes, by Theodore G. Remer. Preface by W. S. Lewis. <a href="/wiki/University_of_Oklahoma_Press" title="University of Oklahoma Press">University of Oklahoma Press</a>. p. 6.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Serendipity+and+the+Three+Princes%2C+from+the+Peregrinaggio+of+1557&rft.pages=6&rft.pub=University+of+Oklahoma+Press&rft.date=1965&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span> <a href="/wiki/LCCN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="LCCN (identifier)">LCCN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.loc.gov/item/65010112">65-10112</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBarber2006" class="citation book cs1">Barber, Robert K. Merton, Elinor (2006). <i>The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity: A Study in Sociological Semantics and the Sociology of Science</i> (Paperback ed.). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 1–3. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0691126302" title="Special:BookSources/978-0691126302"><bdi>978-0691126302</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Travels+and+Adventures+of+Serendipity%3A+A+Study+in+Sociological+Semantics+and+the+Sociology+of+Science&rft.place=Princeton%2C+NJ&rft.pages=1-3&rft.edition=Paperback&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-0691126302&rft.aulast=Barber&rft.aufirst=Robert+K.+Merton%2C+Elinor&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span><span class="cs1-maint citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_book" title="Template:Cite book">cite book</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list" title="Category:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list">link</a>)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/serendipity">"serendipity"</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181013192621/https://www.thefreedictionary.com/serendipity">Archived</a> from the original on 2018-10-13<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2017-06-10</span></span> – via The Free Dictionary.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=serendipity&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefreedictionary.com%2Fserendipity&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">For example: <a href="/wiki/Portuguese_language" title="Portuguese language">Portuguese</a> <i><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/serendipidade" class="extiw" title="pt:serendipidade">serendipidade</a></i> or <i>serendipismo</i>; <a href="/wiki/Spanish_language" title="Spanish language">Spanish</a> <i><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/serendipia" class="extiw" title="es:serendipia">serendipia</a></i>; <a href="/wiki/German_language" title="German language">German</a> <i><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipit%C3%A4t" class="extiw" title="de:Serendipität">Serendipität</a></i>; <a href="/wiki/French_language" title="French language">French</a> <i><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/s%C3%A9rendipit%C3%A9" class="extiw" title="fr:sérendipité">sérendipité</a></i> or also <i>heureux hasard</i> (fortunate chance); <a href="/wiki/Italian_language" title="Italian language">Italian</a> <i>serendipità</i> (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.grandidizionari.it/Dizionario_Italiano/parola/s/serendipità.aspx">Italian Dictionary Hoepli by Aldo Gabrielli, cfr.</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20201205150744/https://www.grandidizionari.it/Dizionario_Italiano/parola/s/serendipit%C3%A0.aspx">Archived</a> 2020-12-05 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>); <a href="/wiki/Dutch_language" title="Dutch language">Dutch</a> <i><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipiteit" class="extiw" title="nl:Serendipiteit">serendipiteit</a></i>; <a href="/wiki/Swedish_language" title="Swedish language">Swedish</a>, <a href="/wiki/Danish_language" title="Danish language">Danish</a> and <a href="/wiki/Norwegian_language" title="Norwegian language">Norwegian</a> <i><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipitet" class="extiw" title="no:Serendipitet">serendipitet</a></i>; <a href="/wiki/Romanian_language" title="Romanian language">Romanian</a> <i><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipitate" class="extiw" title="ro:Serendipitate">serendipitate</a></i>; <a href="/wiki/Finnish_language" title="Finnish language">Finnish</a> <i><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipisyys" class="extiw" title="fi:Serendipisyys">serendipisyys</a></i> or <i>serendipiteetti</i>; <a href="/wiki/Russian_language" title="Russian language">Russian</a> <i><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BF%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C" class="extiw" title="ru:Серендипность">sieriendipnost</a></i> (Серендипность); <a href="/wiki/Japanese_language" title="Japanese language">Japanese</a> <i><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%BB%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%83%94%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3" class="extiw" title="ja:セレンディピティ">serendipiti</a></i> (セレンディピティ); <a href="/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a> <i><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%84%8F%E5%A4%96%E5%8F%91%E7%8E%B0" class="extiw" title="zh:意外发现">yìwài fāxiàn</a></i> (意外发现 that is "unexpected discovery").<br /> Others use directly the term <i>serendipity</i>, like <a href="/wiki/Polish_language" title="Polish language">Polish</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><i>Collins Chinese Dictionary</i>. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 2005. pp. 90, 391. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-00-720432-9" title="Special:BookSources/0-00-720432-9"><bdi>0-00-720432-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Collins+Chinese+Dictionary&rft.place=New+York&rft.pages=90%2C+391&rft.pub=HarperCollins+Publishers&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=0-00-720432-9&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:0-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:0_15-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_15-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_15-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_15-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-power-of-serendipity/">"The Power Of Serendipity"</a>. <i>CBS News</i>. 5 October 2007. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190811105037/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-power-of-serendipity/">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-08-11<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-02-17</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=CBS+News&rft.atitle=The+Power+Of+Serendipity&rft.date=2007-10-05&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fthe-power-of-serendipity%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/serendipity">"The story of serendipity"</a>. <i>Understanding Science</i>. University of California Museum of Paleontology. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181108025727/https://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/serendipity">Archived</a> from the original on 2018-11-08<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-02-18</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Understanding+Science&rft.atitle=The+story+of+serendipity&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fundsci.berkeley.edu%2Farticle%2Fserendipity&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200402/history.cfm">"This Month in Physics History: February 9, 1990: Death of George de Mestral"</a>. <i>American Physical Society</i>. February 2004. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190219015708/https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200402/history.cfm">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-02-19<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-02-18</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=American+Physical+Society&rft.atitle=This+Month+in+Physics+History%3A+February+9%2C+1990%3A+Death+of+George+de+Mestral&rft.date=2004-02&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aps.org%2Fpublications%2Fapsnews%2F200402%2Fhistory.cfm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFThomas2017" class="citation book cs1">Thomas, J. Thorson (2017). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=1PFFDwAAQBAJ"><i>Serendipity: Seemingly Random Events, Insignificant Decisions, and Accidental Discoveries that Altered History</i></a>. Windy City Publishers. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781941478592" title="Special:BookSources/9781941478592"><bdi>9781941478592</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Serendipity%3A+Seemingly+Random+Events%2C+Insignificant+Decisions%2C+and+Accidental+Discoveries+that+Altered+History&rft.pub=Windy+City+Publishers&rft.date=2017&rft.isbn=9781941478592&rft.aulast=Thomas&rft.aufirst=J.+Thorson&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D1PFFDwAAQBAJ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1041539562">.mw-parser-output .citation{word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}</style><span class="citation patent" id="CITEREFPlunkett1941"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://worldwide.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=US2230654">US 2230654</a>, <a href="/wiki/Roy_Plunkett" class="mw-redirect" title="Roy Plunkett">Plunkett, Roy J</a>, "Tetrafluoroethylene polymers", issued 4 February 1941</span><span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Apatent&rft.number=2230654&rft.cc=US&rft.title=Tetrafluoroethylene+polymers&rft.inventor=Plunkett&rft.date=4 February 1941"><span style="display: none;"> </span></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-alexanderfleming-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-alexanderfleming_20-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/alexander-fleming">"Alexander Fleming: Fleming's serendipitous discovery of penicillin changed the course of medicine and earned him a Nobel Prize"</a>. <i>Science History Institute</i>. December 5, 2017. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20201110200725/https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/alexander-fleming">Archived</a> from the original on 2020-11-10<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-04-28</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Science+History+Institute&rft.atitle=Alexander+Fleming%3A+Fleming%27s+serendipitous+discovery+of+penicillin+changed+the+course+of+medicine+and+earned+him+a+Nobel+Prize.&rft.date=2017-12-05&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencehistory.org%2Fhistorical-profile%2Falexander-fleming&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHofmann2009" class="citation book cs1">Hofmann, Albert (2009). <i>LSD, my problem child: reflections on sacred drugs, mysticism, and science</i> (Fourth English Language ed.). Santa Cruz, CA. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9798622-2-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-9798622-2-9"><bdi>978-0-9798622-2-9</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/610059315">610059315</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=LSD%2C+my+problem+child%3A+reflections+on+sacred+drugs%2C+mysticism%2C+and+science&rft.place=Santa+Cruz%2C+CA&rft.edition=Fourth+English+Language&rft.date=2009&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F610059315&rft.isbn=978-0-9798622-2-9&rft.aulast=Hofmann&rft.aufirst=Albert&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span><span class="cs1-maint citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_book" title="Template:Cite book">cite book</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location_missing_publisher" title="Category:CS1 maint: location missing publisher">link</a>)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFStarr2012" class="citation web cs1">Starr, Karla (September 12, 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/how-to-not-find-what-youre-looking-for/">"How to Not Find What You're Looking For"</a>. <i>Scientific American Blog Network</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190218082036/https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/how-to-not-find-what-youre-looking-for/">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-02-18<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-02-18</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Scientific+American+Blog+Network&rft.atitle=How+to+Not+Find+What+You%27re+Looking+For&rft.date=2012-09-12&rft.aulast=Starr&rft.aufirst=Karla&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.scientificamerican.com%2Fguest-blog%2Fhow-to-not-find-what-youre-looking-for%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPazzanese2017" class="citation web cs1">Pazzanese, Christina (March 24, 2017). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://today.law.harvard.edu/danger-internet-echo-chamber/">"Danger in the internet echo chamber"</a>. <i>Harvard Law Today</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210416131559/https://today.law.harvard.edu/danger-internet-echo-chamber/">Archived</a> from the original on 2021-04-16<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-06-24</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Harvard+Law+Today&rft.atitle=Danger+in+the+internet+echo+chamber&rft.date=2017-03-24&rft.aulast=Pazzanese&rft.aufirst=Christina&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Ftoday.law.harvard.edu%2Fdanger-internet-echo-chamber%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:2-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-:2_24-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRaceMakri2016" class="citation book cs1">Race, Tammera M.; Makri, Stephann (2016-06-13). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=5m57AwAAQBAJ&q=cultivating+serendipity&pg=PP1"><i>Accidental Information Discovery: Cultivating Serendipity in the Digital Age</i></a>. Elsevier. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781780634319" title="Special:BookSources/9781780634319"><bdi>9781780634319</bdi></a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230715110139/https://books.google.com/books?id=5m57AwAAQBAJ&q=cultivating+serendipity&pg=PP1">Archived</a> from the original on 2023-07-15<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-10-20</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Accidental+Information+Discovery%3A+Cultivating+Serendipity+in+the+Digital+Age&rft.pub=Elsevier&rft.date=2016-06-13&rft.isbn=9781780634319&rft.aulast=Race&rft.aufirst=Tammera+M.&rft.au=Makri%2C+Stephann&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D5m57AwAAQBAJ%26q%3Dcultivating%2Bserendipity%26pg%3DPP1&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFReviglio2019" class="citation journal cs1">Reviglio, Urbano (2019-01-02). "Serendipity as an emerging design principle of the infosphere: challenges and opportunities". <i>Ethics and Information Technology</i>. <b>21</b> (2): 151–166. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10676-018-9496-y">10.1007/s10676-018-9496-y</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1572-8439">1572-8439</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:57426650">57426650</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Ethics+and+Information+Technology&rft.atitle=Serendipity+as+an+emerging+design+principle+of+the+infosphere%3A+challenges+and+opportunities&rft.volume=21&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=151-166&rft.date=2019-01-02&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A57426650%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.issn=1572-8439&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1007%2Fs10676-018-9496-y&rft.aulast=Reviglio&rft.aufirst=Urbano&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Boyd, William. <i>Armadillo</i>, Chapter 12, <a href="/wiki/Alfred_A._Knopf" title="Alfred A. Knopf">Knopf</a>, New York, 1998. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-375-40223-3" title="Special:BookSources/0-375-40223-3">0-375-40223-3</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBoyle2009" class="citation web cs1">Boyle, Richard (2009-03-12). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.himalmag.com/serendipity-and-zemblanity/">"Serendipity and Zemblanity"</a>. <i>Himal Southasian</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20201229172844/https://www.himalmag.com/serendipity-and-zemblanity/">Archived</a> from the original on 2020-12-29<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-12-28</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Himal+Southasian&rft.atitle=Serendipity+and+Zemblanity&rft.date=2009-03-12&rft.aulast=Boyle&rft.aufirst=Richard&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.himalmag.com%2Fserendipity-and-zemblanity%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">(a) <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.the-scientist.com/yr1999/feb/opin_990201.html">Sommer, Toby J. "'Bahramdipity' and Scientific Research", <i>The Scientist</i>, <b>1999</b>, <i>13</i>(3), 13.</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20011102141329/https://www.the-scientist.com/yr1999/feb/opin_990201.html">Archived</a> 2001-11-02 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> <br />(b) <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bmartin.cc/dissent/documents/Sommer.pdf">Sommer, Toby J. "Bahramdipity and Nulltiple Scientific Discoveries," <i>Science and Engineering Ethics</i>, <b>2001</b>, <i>7</i>(1), 77–104.</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181126074702/http://www.bmartin.cc/dissent/documents/Sommer.pdf">Archived</a> 2018-11-26 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://hdl.handle.net/2142/100225">Solomon, Yosef, & Bronstein, Jenny. "Information Serendipity, Pseudo-Serendipity, Zemblanity, Disruptive Discovery and Nemorinity: Revisiting Donizetti's and Romani's Opera Buffa L'elisir d'Amore"</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230715110147/https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/items/106286">Archived</a> 2023-07-15 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>, <i>iConference Proceedings</i>, <b>2018</b>, 1–4</span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMertonBarber2004" class="citation book cs1">Merton, Robert K.; Barber, Elinor (2004). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780691117546"><i>The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity: A Study in Sociological Semantics and the Sociology of Science</i></a>. <a href="/wiki/Princeton_University_Press" title="Princeton University Press">Princeton University Press</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0691117546" title="Special:BookSources/978-0691117546"><bdi>978-0691117546</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Travels+and+Adventures+of+Serendipity%3A+A+Study+in+Sociological+Semantics+and+the+Sociology+of+Science&rft.pub=Princeton+University+Press&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-0691117546&rft.aulast=Merton&rft.aufirst=Robert+K.&rft.au=Barber%2C+Elinor&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fisbn_9780691117546&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span> (Manuscript written 1958).</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHannan2006" class="citation book cs1">Hannan, Patrick J. (2006). <span class="id-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/serendipityluckw0000hann"><i>Serendipity, Luck and Wisdom in Research</i></a></span>. <a href="/wiki/IUniverse" title="IUniverse">iUniverse</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0595365517" title="Special:BookSources/978-0595365517"><bdi>978-0595365517</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Serendipity%2C+Luck+and+Wisdom+in+Research&rft.pub=iUniverse&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-0595365517&rft.aulast=Hannan&rft.aufirst=Patrick+J.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fserendipityluckw0000hann&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRoberts1989" class="citation book cs1">Roberts, Royston M. (1989). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/serendipityaccid00robe_0"><i>Serendipity: Accidental Discoveries in Science</i></a>. Wiley. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0471602033" title="Special:BookSources/978-0471602033"><bdi>978-0471602033</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Serendipity%3A+Accidental+Discoveries+in+Science&rft.pub=Wiley&rft.date=1989&rft.isbn=978-0471602033&rft.aulast=Roberts&rft.aufirst=Royston+M.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fserendipityaccid00robe_0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASerendipity" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li>Isabelle Rivoal and Noel B. Salazar (2013). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1469-8676.12026">Contemporary ethnographic practice and the value of serendipity</a>, <i>Social Anthropology,</i> 21(2): 178–85.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox{display:none!important}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}</style><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="34" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/51px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/68px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="355" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikiquote has quotations related to <i><b><a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Serendipity_(effect)" class="extiw" title="q:Serendipity (effect)">Serendipity (effect)</a></b></i>.</div></div> </div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1235681985"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1237033735"><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/45px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/59px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Serendipity" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Serendipity">Serendipity</a></span>.</div></div> </div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1178745.1178756">ACM Paper on Creating serendipitous encounters in a geographically distributed community</a>.</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ssrn.com/abstract=1380082">The Serendipity Equations</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071005164043/http://www.simonsingh.net/Serendipity.html">Serendipity of Science</a> – a <a href="/wiki/BBC_Radio_4" title="BBC Radio 4">BBC Radio 4</a> series by Simon Singh</li> <li><a class="external text" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Are_scientific_discoveries_merely_lucky_shots.webm">Video: Are Scientific Discoveries Merely Lucky Shots?</a>, Samantha Copeland, <a href="/wiki/Delft_University_of_Technology" title="Delft University of Technology">Delft University of Technology</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Unintended_consequences" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Unintended_consequences" title="Template:Unintended consequences"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Unintended_consequences" title="Template talk:Unintended consequences"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Unintended_consequences" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Unintended consequences"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Unintended_consequences" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Unintended_consequences" title="Unintended consequences">Unintended consequences</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0;padding: 0.25em 0; line-height: 1.4em;"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abilene_paradox" title="Abilene paradox">Abilene paradox</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Adverse_effect" title="Adverse effect">Adverse effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Braess%27s_paradox" title="Braess's paradox">Braess's paradox</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Butterfly_effect" title="Butterfly effect">Butterfly effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Campbell%27s_law" title="Campbell's law">Campbell's law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cobra_effect" class="mw-redirect" title="Cobra effect">Cobra effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/CSI_effect" title="CSI effect">CSI effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Externality" title="Externality">Externality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Excess_burden_of_taxation" title="Excess burden of taxation">Excess burden of taxation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Four_Pests_campaign" title="Four Pests campaign">Four Pests campaign</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Goodhart%27s_law" title="Goodhart's law">Goodhart's law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hawthorne_effect" title="Hawthorne effect">Hawthorne effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hutber%27s_law" title="Hutber's law">Hutber's law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydra_effect" title="Hydra effect">Hydra effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inverse_consequences" title="Inverse consequences">Inverse consequences</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jevons_paradox" title="Jevons paradox">Jevons paradox</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Murphy%27s_law" title="Murphy's law">Murphy's law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nocebo" title="Nocebo">Nocebo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Osborne_effect" title="Osborne effect">Osborne effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parable_of_the_broken_window" title="Parable of the broken window">Parable of the broken window</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paradox_of_enrichment" title="Paradox of enrichment">Paradox of enrichment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law" title="Parkinson's law">Parkinson's law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perverse_incentive" title="Perverse incentive">Perverse incentive</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rebound_effect_(conservation)" title="Rebound effect (conservation)">Rebound effect (conservation)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Risk_compensation" title="Risk compensation">Risk compensation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Self-defeating_prophecy" title="Self-defeating prophecy">Self-defeating prophecy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Self-refuting_idea" title="Self-refuting idea">Self-refuting idea</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Serendipity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Social_trap" title="Social trap">Social trap</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Streisand_effect" title="Streisand effect">Streisand effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons" title="Tragedy of the commons">Tragedy of the commons</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tyranny_of_small_decisions" title="Tyranny of small decisions">Tyranny of small decisions</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&oldid=1259046080">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&oldid=1259046080</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Philosophy_of_science" title="Category:Philosophy of science">Philosophy of science</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Scientific_method" title="Category:Scientific method">Scientific method</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Inventions" title="Category:Inventions">Inventions</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Luck" title="Category:Luck">Luck</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Creativity_Management" title="Category:Creativity Management">Creativity Management</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Cognitive_psychology" title="Category:Cognitive psychology">Cognitive psychology</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Sociology" title="Category:Sociology">Sociology</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list" title="Category:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list">CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Webarchive_template_wayback_links" title="Category:Webarchive template wayback links">Webarchive template wayback links</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location_missing_publisher" title="Category:CS1 maint: location missing publisher">CS1 maint: location missing publisher</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_using_multiple_image_with_auto_scaled_images" title="Category:Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images">Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Commons_category_link_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Commons category link from Wikidata">Commons category link from Wikidata</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 23 November 2024, at 02:05<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy">Privacy Policy</a>. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/">Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.</a>, a non-profit organization.</li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About">About Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-contact"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us">Contact Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Serendipity&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" loading="lazy"></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.canary-84779d6bf6-crlgt","wgBackendResponseTime":198,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.648","walltime":"0.825","ppvisitednodes":{"value":2380,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":59528,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":1646,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":16,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":9,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":99178,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":1,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 735.049 1 -total"," 43.81% 321.994 1 Template:Reflist"," 20.59% 151.378 10 Template:Cite_web"," 13.62% 100.097 1 Template:Short_description"," 13.13% 96.483 1 Template:Unintended_consequences"," 12.51% 91.943 1 Template:Navbox"," 9.11% 66.969 10 Template:Cite_book"," 9.09% 66.816 2 Template:Pagetype"," 7.85% 57.722 2 Template:Sister_project"," 7.48% 54.993 2 Template:Side_box"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"0.404","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":5794761,"limit":52428800}},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-api-ext.codfw.main-7556f8b5dd-w26hz","timestamp":"20241123020525","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Serendipity","url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Serendipity","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q166039","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q166039","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2001-05-10T16:18:36Z","dateModified":"2024-11-23T02:05:24Z","image":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/a\/a0\/Horace_Walpole.jpg","headline":"a \"fortunate happenstance\" or \"pleasant surprise\""}</script> </body> </html>