spray and pray
v. phr.— «Drug companies are not ready to abandon the “spray and pray” random sampling of compounds to find potential new drugs, but excitement is growing about using computers to design tomorrow’s pharmaceuticals in a more rational way.» —“Advances in Drugs, Courtesy of Computers” by Barnaby J. Feder New York Times Aug. 3, 1988. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Sean in Oneonta, New York, says that when he was growing up in New Jersey, his family would pile in the car and set off on a surprise adventure, whether a short distance or long, and the kids would be told only that they were going on Buxtehude...
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...