"In the new year, we can all use some serendipity, right? Since the word was coined in the 18th century, "serendipity" has been used to describe all kinds of scientific and technological breakthroughs, including penicillin, the microwave oven and Velcro. (More on these below.) The whimsical term has also been the title of countless poems, songs and books about remarkable coincidences or eureka moments."
""Serendipity" as the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it is "the ability to find valuable or agreeable things not sought for" or "luck that takes the form of such finding." While the word has often been associated with good fortune or happy accidents, its origin suggests that serendipity goes beyond just happenstance. Some researchers argue that serendipity can be acquired through skill and that opportunities for serendipitous moments occur more frequently than we realize."
"While serendipity is all about the unexpected, its origins are less mysterious. "This is one of those relatively rare words that we can actually pinpoint the exact time and place when it was coined," said Colin Gorrie, a language scholar who has studied the history of "serendipity." The term was introduced by English politician and writer Horace Walpole in a letter dated Jan. 28, 1754."
Serendipity denotes finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for, or luck that takes that form. The term has been applied to major scientific and technological breakthroughs such as penicillin, the microwave oven and Velcro, and appears widely in poems, songs, books and film. Some researchers contend that serendipity can be learned and amplified through skillful practices and increased exposure to opportunities. The word was coined by Horace Walpole in a letter dated Jan. 28, 1754; Walpole also coined many English words and authored The Castle of Otranto.
Read at www.npr.org
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