<human>:  Define serendipity and explain its importance.
<bot>: Serendipity is the occurrence and development of events by chance in a beneficial way. The term was first coined in 1754 by the English writer Horace Walpole. It implies a self-fulfilling prophecy as it suggests that fortunate incidents happen as a result of someone’s ability to make unexpected connections in life. Serendipity is essential in creative processes, such as invention, problem solving, discourse and scientific discoveries. For example, penicillin was discovered by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming when the presence of a mold led to the potentially life-saving drug. Therefore, serendipity can be unexpected, beneficial and lead to creative insights in people’s lives. It can also point to larger, unseen patterns, pointing to a possibility of a greater wisdom and order to events.