How are great scientific discoveries made? A prominent scientist, Daniel Koshland, the discoverer of the induced-fit model for protein-ligand interactions wrote an article in Science a few years back describing three modes of scientific discovery: "The Cha Cha Cha theory of Scientific discovery". The Cha's in title are short for charge, challenge and chance. Charge discoveries solve obvious problems for which the solution is not clear; Challenge discoveries are made to account for an abundance of facts that don't quite fit together. The discoverer comes up with a model that can describe all of the anomolies. Finally Chance discoveries are those serendipitous discoveries that Louis Pasteur felt "favored the prepared mind. Check out the article and find your favorite scientific discovery on the chart. What controls the movement of sun earth and stars? why are there clear spots on my petri dish? Why do offspring look like their parents? Interesting quick read if you want to follow up a wonderful lecture by Professor Mel Green on his own scientific discoveries over the last half century.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/317/5839/761
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