Untangling the Web: Serendipity

Serendipity, the enigmatic process that's been credited with producing everything from penicillin to the chocolate chip cookie , is the almost-magical convergence of a (happy) accident and the sagacity of knowing what to do with it. The web has been described by some pundits as " the greatest serendipity engine in the history of culture ", and commercial companies - like Google - are looking to harvest your enormous cloud of data to deliver serendipitous experiences before you even know what to search for. But other pundits have decried the web's filtering mechanics for reducing serendipity, and potentially stifling innovation rather than creating it. So who's right? Is the web a serendipity machine or a tool for cultural homogenisation? Or is it, like so many things, not nearly so black and white? This fortnight, I tackle a pet topic: what is the web doing for (or against) serendipity. Follow the progress on the Untangling the Web blog for all the links, interviews, photos, videos, articles and academic research on serendipity and the web that will feed this article. Send your thoughts to [email protected] , comment below, or @ me on Twitter @aleksk . I look forward to being inspired.