Method and System for Supporting Symbolic Serendipity

Authors

Abstract

This invention provides a method and system for supporting serendipity and pseudo-serendipity. A collection of profiles are generated to model the user's worldview. A collection of shadow profiles are generated to model divergent knowledge based on the user's profiles and external information or knowledge sources. A collection of items are retrieved from the profiles and used to perform a deliberate search for laterality. The initial and lateral items are merged into a search string. The search string is used to perform a search or wandering process that is aware of potential serendipitous stimuli in an information space. The discovered, unexpected, unsought, unforeseen stimuli are intended to be subsequently presented to the user.

Subject

Serendipity

Book

Method and System for Supporting Symbolic Serendipity, United States Patent Application: 20050120015, June 2005