Luck or PlanningIntelligence and planning are necessary factors in scientific research, but chance and luck are also important and somewhat necessary factors. The Autobiography of Charles Darwin and the memoir, The Double Helix, written by James Watson, prove this statement. Charles Darwin, James Watson, and Francis Crick were all intelligent men who planned their experiments, but without chance and luck, their success and scientific achievements would not be as great. Intelligence and planning are important in scientific discovery, but are not always the dominant forces driving scientific research. . This is the case of Charles Darwin, James Watson and Francis Crick. These three men were extremely intellectual, but their intelligence contributed only partially to their success. Intelligence and planning, combined with chance and luck, contributed to their overall success. People take risks every day. If you really think about it, life is a big game of chance. It is by chance that we are born, that we continue to survive, and that we will eventually die. Some people believe that this cycle occurs according to God's will, others, such as Charles Darwin, believe that it occurs based on chance or natural selection. Whatever you believe or not, life cannot be planned. No matter how hard a person tries to “plan” their path in life, it is by chance and luck that that path takes us. Darwin's career was also based on chance and not planning. Darwin never planned to become a scientist or the father of natural selection. It was by pure chance that he got the job during the voyage of the Beagle, which marked the beginning of his career. Darwin said of this voyage: “The voyage of the Beagle was by far the most important event of my life and determined my whole life. career. "(Darwin, p.76) Darwin had not planned to make the trip on the Beagle, he had the opportunity by simple chance. We can try to "plan" a job or a career, but chance and luck are the major factors in achieving success. Although Darwin's intellect played a role in getting the job, chance and luck were the major factors. Many scientists suffer major strokes of luck. Two other scientists who did not "plan" for their success were James Watson and Francis Crick These...... middle of article... major contributing factors Charles Darwin said his "...success. as a man of science, whatever amount this may have amounted to, has been determined, so far as I can judge, by complex and diversified mental qualities and conditions, the most important have been - a love of science - boundless patience in thinking at length on any subject - industry in observation and gathering of facts - and a good deal of invention as well as common sense. With such moderate abilities as I possess, it is truly surprising that I have thus influenced to a considerable extent the beliefs of scientific men on certain important points. (Darwin, p. 145) Although Darwin presented his theory with clear and concise arguments, it was by chance that people believed him, considering that he could not plan for his future success. Although planning is somewhat important in scientific research and discovery, chance plays an important role. more important role. Without chance, most scientific discoveries would not have happened. John Lennon was quoted as saying, “Life is what happens when we make other plans.” » Science.