Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer
Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer: Practice IELTS Reading test practice questions with standard sample answers to score high in the IELTS test.
Porishmita Paul25 Dec, 2024
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Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer: The IELTS Reading test consists of three reading passages. “Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer” passage is one of the important topics for the IELTS Reading test. The passage comprises a total of 13 questions categorized into three sections: Matching Information, Summary Completion, and Matching Features.
Here, we have included a sample passage on the “Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer” topic. Additionally, sample answers have been provided for aspirants to help them develop their own answers for the original IELTS Reading Test . Students are suggested to solve all the given questions to achieve high IELTS band scores .Free IELTS Reading Practice Tests, Cambridge Sample Test PDF
Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on questions 1-13, which are based on the Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer Passage below.Serendipity The Accidental Scientists
1. A paradox lies close to the heart of scientific discovery. If you know just what you are looking for, finding it can hardly count as a discovery, since it was fully anticipated. But if, on the other hand, you have no notion of what you are looking for, you cannot know when you have found it, and discovery, as such, is out of the question. In the philosophy of science, these extremes map onto the purest forms of deductivism and inductivism: In the former, the outcome is supposed to be logically contained in the premises you start with; in the latter, you are recommended to start with no expectations whatsoever and see what turns up. 2. As in so many things, the ideal position is widely supposed to reside somewhere in between these two impossible-to-realize extremes. You want to have a good enough idea of what you are looking for to be surprised when you find something else of value, and you want to be ignorant enough of your end point that you can entertain alternative outcomes. Scientific discovery should, therefore, have an accidental aspect, but not too much of one. Serendipity is a word that expresses a position something like that. It’s a fascinating word, and the late Robert King Merton—the father of the sociology of science’—liked it well enough to compose its biography, assisted by the French cultural historian Elinor Barber. 3. Serendipity means a “happy accident’ or ‘pleasant surprise’; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful without looking for it. The first noted use of serendipity in the English language was by Horace Walpole (1717-1792). In a letter to Horace Mann (dated 28 January 1754) he said he formed it from the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, whose heroes ‘were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of’. The name stems from Serendip, an old name for Sri Lanka. 4. Besides antiquarians, the other community that came to dwell on serendipity to say something important about their practice was that of scientists. Many scientists, including the Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon and, later, the British immunologist Peter Medawar, liked to emphasize how much of scientific discovery was unplanned and even accidental. One of Cannon’s favorite examples of such serendipity is Luigi Galvani’s observation of the twitching of dissected frogs’ legs, hanging from a copper wire, when they accidentally touched an iron railing, leading to the discovery of ‘galvanismo; another is Hans Christian Orsted’s discovery of electromagnetism when he unintentionally brought a current-carrying wire parallel to a magnetic needle. The context in which scientific serendipity was most contested and had its greatest resonance was that connected with the idea of planned science. The serendipitists were not all inhabitants of academic ivory towers. Two of the great early-20th-century American pioneers of industrial research-Willis Whitney and Irving Langmuir, both of General Electric—made much play of serendipity, in the course of arguing against overly rigid research planning. 5. Yet what Cannon and Medawar took as a benign method, other scientists found incendiary To say that science had a significant serendipitous aspect was taken by some as dangerous denigration. If scientific discovery were really accidental, then what was the special basis of expert authority? In this connection, the aphorism of choice came from no less an authority on scientific discovery than Louis Pasteur: “Chance favors the prepared mind.” Accidents may happen, and things may turn up unplanned and unforeseen, as one is looking for something else, but the ability to notice such events, to see their potential bearing and meaning, to exploit their occurrence and make constructive use of them—these are the results of systematic mental preparation. What seems like an accident is just another form of expertise. On closer inspection, it is insisted, accident dissolves into sagacity 6. In 1936, as a very young man, Merton wrote a seminal essay on “The Unanticipated Consequences of Purposive Social Action.” It is, he argued, the nature of social action that what one intends is rarely what one gets: Intending to provide resources for buttressing Christian religion, the natural philosophers of the Scientific Revolution laid the groundwork for secularism people wanting to be alone with nature in Yosemite Valley wind up crowding one another. We just don’t know enough—and we can never know enough—to ensure that the past is an adequate guide to the future: Uncertainty about outcomes, even of our best-laid plans, is endemic. All social action, including that undertaken with the best evidence and formulated according to the most rational criteria, is uncertain in its consequences.Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer Sample Questions
Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer: Matching Information (Q. 1-5): Match each statement with the correct section (A-G).1. A reference to scientific discovery resulting from unintended observations. 2. An explanation of how accidents can lead to success with proper knowledge and readiness. 3. A mention of the conflicting opinions on whether serendipity undermines scientific expertise. 4. A historical account of how the term ‘serendipity’ originated. 5. A discussion about balancing structured planning and openness to accidental discoveries.
Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer: Summary Completion (Q. 6-9): Complete the summary using the words from the box below.
| discoveries / experiment / planning / accidents / sagacity / unplanned |
Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer: Matching Features (Q. 10-13): Match each discovery or event with the scientist associated with it.10. Discovered electromagnetism by accident. 11. Observed frog leg movements leading to galvanism. 12. Argued for the importance of serendipity in industrial research. 13. Believed accidents were a reflection of expert preparation. Scientists: A. Hans Christian Orsted B. Willis Whitney C. Louis Pasteur D. Luigi Galvani Also Read:
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Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer with Explanation
Ans 1. A reference to scientific discovery resulting from unintended observations. Answer: D- Explanation: Section D provides examples of accidental discoveries, such as Galvani’s frog leg experiment and Orsted’s electromagnetism observation, emphasizing the role of unplanned observations in scientific breakthroughs.
- Explanation: Section F mentions Pasteur’s famous quote, “Chance favors the prepared mind,” highlighting that accidental discoveries require a prepared and knowledgeable observer to capitalize on them.
- Explanation: Section E discusses the debate over whether serendipity discredits scientific authority, with some scientists arguing that emphasizing accidents threatens the perception of science as a rigorous, planned endeavor.
- Explanation: Section C details the origin of the term ‘serendipity,’ coined by Horace Walpole, referencing the Persian tale of The Three Princes of Serendip.
- Explanation: Section B highlights the balance between structured planning and openness to unexpected results, describing the ideal scientific approach as lying between pure deductivism and inductivism.
- Explanation: The passage discusses how scientific discoveries often happen by accident, which aligns with the meaning of ‘serendipity.’
- Explanation: The text mentions that unplanned events and accidents can lead to significant scientific findings, as seen in the cases of Galvani and Orsted.
- Explanation: Pasteur’s quote underscores that while accidents may occur, recognizing and utilizing them requires sagacity (wisdom and readiness).
- Explanation: The passage repeatedly emphasizes that many discoveries happen in unplanned or unexpected ways, a core idea of serendipity.
- Explanation: Section D mentions Orsted’s accidental discovery of electromagnetism while conducting an unrelated experiment.
- Explanation: Section D highlights that Whitney, along with Langmuir, championed the role of serendipity in industrial research at General Electric.
- Explanation: Section F mentions Pasteur’s view that accidents favor the prepared mind, reinforcing the idea that expertise plays a crucial role in serendipitous discoveries.
Read More: How to Manage Time in IELTS Reading
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Serendipity The Accidental Scientists IELTS Reading Answer FAQs
Q. What is serendipity in scientific discovery?
Ans. Serendipity refers to accidental but valuable discoveries made while searching for something else. It highlights the role of unexpected events in science, such as Galvani’s discovery of galvanism or Orsted’s electromagnetism.
Q. Who coined the term "serendipity"?
Ans. Horace Walpole coined the term in 1754, inspired by the Persian tale The Three Princes of Serendip.
Q. How does Louis Pasteur explain serendipity?
Ans. Pasteur famously said, “Chance favors the prepared mind,” suggesting that while discoveries may appear accidental, recognizing and utilizing them requires expertise.
Q. Why is serendipity important in science?
Ans. Serendipity allows scientists to make groundbreaking discoveries beyond their initial goals, fostering innovation and highlighting the importance of open-minded research.
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