Article View: sci.philosophy.tech
Article #997Re: Accidental Discoveries
From: Steve Walton
Date: Sun, 24 May 1987 04:43
Date: Sun, 24 May 1987 04:43
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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
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Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!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