Chance or planning Intelligence and planning are necessary factors in scientific research, however 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, however without chance and luck their success and scientific results would not have been so great. Intelligence and planning are important in scientific discovery, but they are not always the dominant forces driving scientific research. . This is the case of Charles Darwin, James Watson and Francis Crick. All three of these men were extremely intellectual, but their intellect contributed only partially to their success. Intellect and planning, combined with chance and luck, contributed to their overall success. People take risks every day. If you really stop to think about it, life is one big gamble. 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 by God's will, others, like Charles Darwin, believe that it occurs by chance or natural selection. Whatever you believe or don't believe, life cannot be planned. No matter how much a person tries to "plan" their path in life, it is only by chance and luck that the path takes us there. Darwin's career was also based on chance, not planning. Darwin never intended to become a scientist or the father of natural selection. It was by pure chance that he got the job on the Voyage of the Beagle, which began his career. Darwin stated regarding this voyage that, "The voyage of the Beagle was by far the most important event of my life and determined my whole career..." (Darwin, p.76) Darwin had not planned to do the voyage on the Beagle, he got the opportunity by pure chance. You may try to "plan" a job or career, but chance and luck are the main factors that enable success. Although Darwin's intellect played a role in obtaining the position, chance and luck were the main factors. Many scientists experience great strokes of luck. Two other scientists who did not "plan" their success were James Watson and Francis Crick. These t… half of the article… important contributing factors. Charles Darwin said that his "...success as a man of science, whatever it may have been, was determined, so far as I can judge, by complex and diversified mental qualities and conditions, among these the most important were: l 'love of science, unlimited patience in thinking long and hard about any subject, industry in observing and gathering facts, and a good deal of invention and common sense such moderate abilities as I possess, is truly astonishing that I have thus influenced the beliefs of the people to a considerable extent men of science on some important points. (Darwin, p. 145) Although Darwin expounded his theory with clear and concise arguments, it was a coincidence that people believed him, considering that he could not plan for his future success somewhat important in scientific research and discovery, chance plays a much more important role. Without chance most scientific discoveries would not have occurred. John Lennon is quoted as saying, “Life is what happens while we make other plans.” Science is very similar to life. You can't plan it, it just happens.