Happy Accidents

Last updated on: July 5, 2011 at 7:15 am by JBW

Happy Accidents 2011-07-05T07:15:39-05:00 JBW

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I was listening to a podcast of the radio show, On Being, as host Krista Tippet interviewed the astrophysicist, Lord Martin Rees, about how scientific discoveries – specifically, the deep structure of space and time – relate to spiritual life.

Call me crazy, but I am fascinated by this stuff.

Krista began by asking Rees how he got into the study of cosmology. Rather than blinding her with the brilliance of his single-minded career path, he replied in a starched Cambridge University accent, Well, it was a series of lucky accidents, really.”

Rees went on to recount his early fortune in college getting paired up with an enthusiastic advisor who strongly influenced his interest in astrophysics. He also mentioned the plain luck of good timing, as he entered the field in the 1960’s, just when the big bang theory and black holes were being seriously discussed. These two factors deeply shaped his career trajectory.

Ah yes. The fine art of being at the right place at the right time.

Some might call it luck, or providence.

Or accidents.

To read the rest of this post, make a specific, deliberate, non-accidental decision to click here and head over to The High Calling.

Image by Cameron Smuts. Used with permission. Sourced via Flickr.

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Lord Martin Rees

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