Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Criticism from 1711 brought the phrase “To err is human” to light (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). The irony about errors is that I have despised errors for most of my life. However, my calm and rational mind understands that learning by making mistakes has brought incredible innovations to the world. Here I reflect on a few innovations discovered by serendipity, error, and exaptation.
Serendipity is a clever-sounding word that I have always understood to mean a glorious discovery by happenstance. For example, it is serendipitous to discover a gold nugget while out on a nature hike along a riverbed without ever aiming to find said gold nugget. An innovation that was also serendipitous was the microwave oven that was discovered by Percy Spencer while working on a magnetron that happened to melt his peanut cluster bar (Blitz, 2016). Spencer investigated the accident and found microwaves could heat things. An error is another method of innovation. In fact, without mistakes, we would cease to exist as errors in our DNA lead to the mutations that allowed our species to evolve (Schoemaker, 2012). The minor mistakes that occur throughout the unending chain of cell division, replication, and copying allow me to be what I am today. However, an error by nature is different than an error caused by a human being who accidentally makes a very human mistake and discovers something new and innovative in the process. Enter Alfred Nobel, who experimented with a new substance called nitroglycerin and discovered that the material had the propensity to explode. However, he lost his brother and caused significant damage in the process (Lemmel, 1998). Nobel was determined to discover a way to tame the volatile material that cost him his brother and eventually created Dynamite in 1876, making the material stable. Dynamite has been used to build tunnels, dams, and clear debris, ultimately turning Nobel’s disastrous error into a valuable tool for humankind. Finally, we examine exaptation as an innovative mechanism. Exaptation follows closely with the formerly mentioned errors and serendipity. Still, it differs in that an innovator recognizes how something used for a different purpose can be remade to be helpful in another way. Sir Tim Berners-Lee recognized the computer and networks to quickly and easily navigate through information on a computer system. He created the URI, HTML, and HTTP specifications and protocols to share information (Internet Society, 2009). Sir Berners-Lee is the father of the Internet, and his exaptation of computers and networks into tools for the masses is one of the most influential innovations of the current age. Though errors may be frustrating and not everything can be serendipitous in nature, organizations and innovators who recognize the value in being human and hunting down the cause and effects of our world can turn these frustrations and happy accidents into true modern miracles. Through mistakes and the identification of new ways to use existing technology, I have the honor, privilege, and capability to share my thoughts on innovation by happenstance. References
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AuthorI am a Doctoral Scholar at Colorado Technical University and a graduate of the Cyber Security Operations and Leadership program from the University of San Diego. I work in cybersecurity, and have accumulated twenty years in the IT industry. There are few IT roles I have not performed, which gives me great insights into making sense of all the IT confusion. Archives
February 2022
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