BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

SERENDIPITY 1)

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The faculty of making fortunate and unexpected discoveries by accident.

The term originates in the fairy tale "The three Princes of Serendip" (H. WALPOLE). It is now quite generally accepted in the forementioned meaning, since it covers a kind of very relevant mental activity. Indeed, in numerous instances quite important discoveries have been made in a seemingly sudden flash of illumination, which probably corresponds to a not yet clearly understood cerebral process, through unplanned and automatic neural interconnections. Of course, serendipity visits only well informed, open, inquiring and creative minds, who are able to notice the deep significance of some seemingly fortuitous event. (FLEMING discovery of penicillin, by observing a "spoiled" bacterial culture and inquiring for the cause of this unforeseen outcome). It is somehow akin to the "Eureka" syndrome and to the proper perception of unsuspected systemic interrelations.

→ Clue, Effects (Side); Random phenomenon; Relevance

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]

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