I. AVOID FRUITLESS EXPERIMENTS 6 



idea is rather widespread that great discoveries are largely accidental 

 in nature and that they may happen to almost anyone. The accidental 

 theory of success in research has been strikingly epitomized in a recent 

 remark by an American beer baron. AVith business booming, the 

 baron had permitted himself the luxury of subsidizing a capable 

 microbiologist, but subject to an annual appropriation. At a year- 

 end conference on the budget, to which the laboratory superintendent 

 had invited the microbiologist, the question of a renewed grant was up 

 for consideration. But the baron quickly settled the matter. "Keep 

 him on," he said with a flourish, "you never know when he might 

 stumble onto something." 



To ascribe the tremendous achievements of modern science to an 

 unending series of accidental discoveries not only is placing "Lady 

 Luck" on a very high pedestal but also is unfair to professional 

 scientists. However, whereas an occasional important discovery 

 may be accidental, most meaningless experiments are the result of 

 inadequate planning and/or careless execution. While it may be pro- 

 fessionally embarrassing for some to admit that an epochal discovery 

 has been made in a backwoods attic laboratory by a novice with 

 crude equipment and a high school education, it would seem down- 

 right disgraceful to be forced to acknowledge that many research 

 experiments are not adequately designed by supposedly well trained 

 investigators. 



Another type of accidental approach is involved in the contention 

 that experiments that are wrong ultimately lead to the great advances 

 in science. The thought here is that the large amount of careful work 

 required to prove an experiment incorrect results itself in fundamental 

 contributions. This becomes secondarily a hybrid situation which 

 includes incidental elements of the type discussed in the next section. 

 However, the provocative incorrect experiment must be considered 

 accidental — unless eventually efficiency experts deliberately publish 

 such articles in order to stimulate research. 



2. Incidental Approach 



Important discoveries in science in recent years usually have been 

 made by qualified investigators deliberately engaged in experimental 

 research. Oftentimes it has happened that the important advance 

 was merely a by-product, however, of the original problem under 

 investigation. To this extent, then, the discovery is incidental. If 

 the reader prefers to call it accidental, I believe he will concede that 



