Famous writer William Shakespeare said, “Chance favors the prepared mind” and he mentioned again in his play, Henr V: “All things are ready if our minds be so.” Serendipity means a good fortune or discovery that occur coincidentally.It is a positive word that means “happy unexpected surprise”. However, I agree that serendipity can onlyoccur to people who put effort for new findings. The recognition is definitely deserved for the serendipitous discoveries as people have prepared and studied for their inventions. For example, the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming , He accidentally left a petri dish of Staphylococcus bacteria opened and a mold had got inside and had appeared to have killed around the bacteria. It turned out that it was the fungus Penicillium and he turned the fungus into a groundbreaking anti-biotic. Also, the hallucinogenic properties of LSD unfolded when Albert Hoffmann ingested accidentally while working to develop a drug to control hemorrhage after childbirth and migraine. Like Fleming and Hoffmann, most scientists who got inventions unexpectedly had led their environments for serendipitous discoveries. They had put efforts for their discoveries and deserved recognition from the world.
Related Links: http://blog.oup.com/2011/09/serendipity/
Related Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIkUtfJ0yYQ
weeklysilence 
Posted by Olivia McGahan on October 11, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Olivia Lee, you have a few really good examples listed to support the idea that serendipity does not solely occur by chance. Scientists and others who come across incredible findings deserve credit because it were they who were prepared enough to notice it and apply it to its best potential. This is the point you are trying to get at and support it by short clips of examples. I think you could connect your examples to your point more though, because the connection is just implied. If I knew little about the subject of discussion I would not be persuaded one way or the other. Shakespeare is a respected name to quote but that sentence is a little choppy. Rereading this post would certainly help smooth out several parts of it. Emphasize that Flemming deserves credit because he was able to use his expertise in order to use and create the fungus for something useful, your reason is there, it’s just a little hidden. Elaborate on the Hoffmann case; what part did he have in deserving credit?
Otherwise, good supporting ideas and links; they are very relevant to your post.
Posted by Olivia McGahan on October 12, 2011 at 1:17 pm
^^Olivia McGahan (Oral) Section J5^^
Posted by Kurt Russell on October 13, 2011 at 3:01 pm
I would consider expanding more on the topic to further your argument. Also, the transitions between Shakespeare and serendipity could be made smoother. You used good examples, especially with penecillin, but I would consider giving a more personal opinion and less of just listing examples. I enjoyed the video link, it was informative and entertaining.
-Kurt Russell, Nonverbal Section
Posted by Albert Shao Yueh Tseng on October 13, 2011 at 3:13 pm
I like the two links you posted. They were related to the examples you used. Also, the quotation you used in Henry V made me want to go back to my senior year in high school. kkk. Then instead of writing one paragraph, I think you could separate into different pieces, or you could add more arguments about your opinions towards serendipity. However, this post still contained thoughtful points that could be learned.
-Albert Tseng J5
Posted by Jake Welte (J5) on October 13, 2011 at 7:10 pm
I like the ideas that you presented in your blog, but I agree with Kurt that you could work on a transition between two separate ideas. Perhaps you could even expand on an idea, which will make your argument more in depth and strengthen your points. By making two separate paragraphs of your ideas, a transition will seem more natural as well. I enjoyed both links and thought that it was a good idea to attach them.
Posted by samcasto on October 14, 2011 at 8:52 pm
I really liked your Shakespeare quotes; I think they did a good job to illustrate and back up your view of serendipity. Also, your examples were really good, but I think you need to elaborate on them a little more. The video was a nice touch because it helped to illustrate your point even more, but using a different media form, which is always good to keep your reader’s attention.