Innovations Discovered Through Serendipity, Error, & Exaptation

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SERENDIPITY

The term “serendipity” was first applied by Sir Horace Walpole in 1754, and English writer and historian, after reading a story titled “The Three Princes of Serendip” (Serendip is now called Sri Lanka), where the traveling princes continuously made discoveries of things they did not plan to explore, yet were surprised by them. Walpole created the term “serendipity” to explain the type of discoveries like those in the story he had read (Crampton, 2022). 

I understand serendipity as the discovery of unexpected events or innovations, the kind made by chance when in search for something else, as is the case of lysozyme. Alexandre Fleming discovered lysozyme, an antibacterial enzyme, found in human mucus, saliva, and tears.

Fleming serendipitously discovered the enzyme after sneezing on a petri dish full of bacteria while working on bacterial research. Some of the bacteria died around the area Fleming contaminated with his sneeze. Lysozyme is able to destroy some of the bacteria we face on a daily basis, but it is not suitable for major infections (Crampton, 2022). 


ERROR

Many well-known inventions were the result of mistakes made during scientific investigations or quests (Krueger, 2010). My understanding of innovative discoveries made in error is exactly that, something found as a result of taking unintentional steps, or mistakes, during research. 

One innovation discovered by mistake are ink-jet printers. Since the 1960s, printer companies had been researching the creation of ink that flows in a controlled manner and does not clog once it dried. This technical challenge was solved in the late 1980s when a Canon engineer rested a hot iron on a pen by mistake, causing the ink to eject from the pen’s point (Elward, 2019; Krueger, 2010). 


EXAPTATION

Exaptation is a common term among evolutionary biologists to understand and explain “co-opting” (use of old parts in a new function) in natural selection (Tam, 2018). I see exaptation as a consolidation process or the combination of different components or elements to create a new purpose or use. 

Millions of years ago, heavy-plumaged Anchiornis (dinosaur ancestor of birds) did not fly, yet it possessed plumage and a wrist bone similar to one in the modern bird that is used for another purpose, to allow them to draw in their wings during flight. This is an example of many exaptation events across millions of years (Tam, 2018). 


Joseph Lister, known as the father of modern surgery, exapted carbolic acid, which was used in sewage treatment, as an anti-sepsis. The new carbolic acid function significantly reduced mortality rates to 15% from 40% in post-surgery patients (Tam, 2018).





References 
Crampton, L. (2022, January 23). Serendipity: The role of chance in scientific discoveries. Owlcation. https://owlcation.com/stem/Serendipity-The-Role-of-Chance-in-Making-Scientific-Discoveries 

Elward, W. (2019, October 30). Inkjet printer history. Castle Ink. https://castleink.com/blogs/printer-help/inkjet-printer-history 

Krueger, A. (2010, November 16). 15 life-changing inventions that were created by mistake. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/these-10-inventions-were-made-by-mistake-2010-11 

Tam, M. (2018, June 30). Patterns of innovation: How exaptation can lead to creative breakthroughs. Medium. https://medium.com/asia-p3-hub-updates/patterns-of-innovation-how-exaptation-can-lead-to-creative-breakthroughs-d7a0a3641d8c

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