Serendipity

How to make serendipity our strongest ally?

- Usha Sunder

Columbus did not go looking for America; that discovery was due to serendipity. How can we invite this serendipity or favourable unintended consequence into our lives? Let us explore…

George loved to take a walk in the woods with his dog. He enjoyed the solitude. After returning from a day of hiking in the Jura Mountains of France, he discovered that he and his dog were covered with seeds that clung fiercely to his garments, the dog's shaggy coat and any surface of contact. As he tried to remove them from his trousers, he noticed the tremendous grip that each such seed had.

George was a curious person by nature and he kept thinking about things that puzzled him. He wondered how something so small could adhere so tightly to the fabric of his trousers. Using a magnifying glass, George observed it carefully. He found that each of them had hundreds of tiny hooks which had got attached to the fabric. Suddenly, he had a moment of great insight. Excited, he knew he had discovered something big but when he described his discovery to others, they all laughed. George persisted and finally found someone who agreed with him. The year was 1948 and the discovery led to 'Velcro'. George de Mestral later went on to patent his idea and create a multi-million-dollar industry.

Did this happen by chance?