Serendipity: obstacles and facilitators

Serendipity is a term used to describe the occurrence of a fortunate discovery originating by chance. Because of this, the term is often associated with the creative process or scientific discovery. Fortuity and randomness, factors often considered intertwined in research and scientific experiments, play an important role in the phenomenon of serendipity. In the study of creativity, such a phenomenon can impact discoveries, inventions, and innovations. Famous examples include that of penicillin, discovered by Alexander Fleming, and the "invention" of Velcro, by George de Mestral. Serendipitous phenomena are said to contain a fortuitous, "inexplicable" element within the framework of formal logic. Although its importance for creativity is recognized, serendipity can be hampered by the contemporary tendency to standardize answers in online searches, and by the enchantment of algorithms, among other obstacles. The era of ready-made answers suggests patterns, models, and formulas for the resolution of problems which seek to "eliminate" chance and fortuitousness. Serendipity is often connoted as mysterious, miraculous, and inexplicable, “the presence of the right person in the right place”, sometimes even attributed to the encounter between divine creation and human creativity. The present study addresses serendipity through the discussion of the concept, exemplified by widely known cases, and points out the potential contemporary obstacles to the occurrence of the phenomenon. It is possible to say that, in a contemporary scenario, it is important to be on alert for the potential traps presented by the enchantment of algorithms and ready-made answers, as they can misguide researchers opening-up to potential new avenues of discoveries. Although the era of ready-made answers brings about difficulties to potential serendipity discoveries, it is also an opportunity to be open to unexpected and unanticipated findings.