title: Roast pig and scientific discovery. Part II.
abstract: In Part I of "Roast Pig and Scientific Discovery" (American Review of Respiratory Disease, May 1977). I gave a classic instance of Chance, or Serendipity, as related by Charles Lamb in his "Dissertation upon Roast Pig." In this essay, Lamb tells how many centuries ago Bo-Bo, the Chinese swine-herd's son, stumbled upon the delicacy of roast pork when he accidentally burned down his father's house and barn and in the process roasted ("burnt") nine newly farrowed pigs. I then gave (A) eight examples in which chance speeded or completed a scientist's ongoing work and (B) five examples in which chance changed the direction of a scientist's work and pointed him toward a new goal. In Part II, I will give more examples of a change in direction of a scientist's work that resulted from chance, and speculate on the role of chance in speeding the advance of science.
mesh_terms: D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000266:history; D000818:Animals; D001602:Beriberi / Q000266:history; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000266:history; D002344:Carotid Body / Q000502:physiology; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000266:history; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D007114:Immunization / Q000266:history; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000266:history; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000266:history; D012106:Research / Q000266:history*; D012119:Respiration
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations