Research Catalog

Title

Serendipity : fortune and the prepared mind / edited by Mark de Rond and Iain Morley.

Publication

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Rond, Mark de.
• Morley, Iain, 1975-

Description

xi, 152 p. : ill.; 25 cm.

Summary

• "Since 1986 Darwin College, Cambridge has organised a series of annual public lectures built around a single theme approached in a multi-disciplinary way. These essays were developed from the 2008 lectures, which explored the idea of serendipity - the relationship between good fortune and the preparation of the mind to spot and exploit it. Serendipity is an appealing concept, and one which has been surprisingly influential in a great number of areas of human discovery. The essays collected in this volume provide insightful and entertaining accounts of the relationship between serendipity and knowledge, in the human and natural sciences. Written by some of the most eminent thinkers of this generation, Serendipity explores a variety of subjects, including disease, politics, scientific invention and the art of writing. This collection will fascinate and inspire a wide range of readers, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the popular, but elusive, concept of serendipity"--
• "Serendipity - the relationship between good fortune and the prepared mind - is an appealing concept, and one which has been surprisingly influential in a great number of areas of human discovery. The essays collected in this volume provide insightful and entertaining accounts of the relationship between serendipity and knowledge in the human and natural sciences. Written by some of the most eminent thinkers of this generation, Serendipity explores a variety of subjects, including disease, politics, scientific invention and the art of writing. This collection will fascinate and inspire a wide range of readers, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the popular, but elusive, concept of serendipity"--

Series Statement

The Darwin College lectures ; 22

Uniform Title

Darwin College lectures.

Subjects

• Fortune
• Chance
• Serendipity
• Coincidence

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

Machine generated contents note: Introduction. Fortune and the prepared mind Iain Morley and Mark de Rond; 1. The stratigraphy of serendipity Susan E. Alcock; 2. Understanding humans - serendipity and anthropology Richard Leakey; 3. HIV and the naked ape Robin Weiss; 4. Cosmological serendipity Simon Singh; 5. Serendipity in astronomy Andrew C. Fabian; 6. Serendipity in physics Richard Friend; 7. Liberalism and uncertainty Oliver Letwin; 8. The unanticipated pleasures of the writing life Simon Winchester.

Call Number

JFF 10-1217

ISBN

• 9780521181815 (pbk.)
• 052118181X (pbk.)

LCCN

2010020574

OCLC

YBP 2010020574

Title

Serendipity : fortune and the prepared mind / edited by Mark de Rond and Iain Morley.

Imprint

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Series

The Darwin College lectures ; 22

Darwin College lectures.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Added Author

Rond, Mark de.

Morley, Iain, 1975-

Research Call Number

JFF 10-1217