Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ll-xn!cit-vax!tybalt.caltech.edu!walton
From: walton@tybalt.caltech.edu (Steve Walton)
Newsgroups: sci.philosophy.tech
Subject: Re: Accidental Discoveries
Message-ID: <2805@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Date: Sun, 24-May-87 00:43:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: cit-vax.2805
Posted: Sun May 24 00:43:07 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 24-May-87 04:47:32 EDT
References: <28044@rochester.ARPA>
Sender: news@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu
Reply-To: walton@tybalt.caltech.edu (Steve Walton)
Distribution: world
Organization: Calfornia Institute of Technology
Lines: 17

In article <28044@rochester.ARPA> stro@rochester.UUCP (Steve Robiner
(for Brown)) writes:

>Here's a good philosophical topic re: science.
>
>Why is it that so many great inventions and discoveries in science have
>come about by accident?  Any ideas?


They haven't.  At least in physics and astronomy, they were all the
product of hard work and an ability to make out the forest despite the
trees--that is, to discard what was unimportant.  Perhaps a bit of
*luck* was involved in being first to enumerate a new idea, but that's
far different from an "accident."
    Steve Walton, guest as walton@tybalt.caltech.edu
    AMETEK Computer Research Division, ametek!walton@csvax.caltech.edu
"Long signatures are definitely frowned upon"--USENET posting rules