Prof. Dr. Giovanni Appendino: Serendipity in the age of artificial intelligence: Are we missing something?

Derek Barton claimed that most of the important reactions of organic chemistry were discovered accidentally, with a discovery being simply what happens when luck strikes the right person. Chance can, indeed, be a sparkle, but it still needs something to ignite, and an open mind will be necessary to make full use of it. The seminar will discuss classic and more recent examples of accidental (serendipitous) discoveries in organic chemistry, classifying their trigger into unpredictable observations, clumsy laboratory behavior, and illogic plans. Their analysis will highlight the relevance for the advancement of knowledge of what cannot be planned and that, because of its lack of logic, lies substantially outside the realm of AI.