10 Accidental Inventions that Changed the World
- 9 years ago
1 ANESTHESIA
In 1844, Horace Wells attended an exhibit and witnessed a participant injure his leg while under the influence of laughing gas. The man, whose leg was bleeding, told Wells that he didn't feel any pain.
After his accidental discovery, Wells used the compound as an anesthetic while he removed his tooth.
2 PENICILLIN
Alexander Fleming, a Scottish bacteriologist, first put penicillin on the map after an incident in his lab. After returning from a two-week vacation in 1928, Fleming noticed that one of his petri dishes was the new home of a mysterious mold. Strangely, Fleming observed that existing bacteria in the dish did not grow where the mold grew, indicating its potential in staving off unwanted microorganisms. Fleming isolated, classified and described the mold. Producing large amounts of the mold, however, proved to be a difficult task.
3 VELCRO
George De Mestral, an electrical engineer, after returning from a walk with his canine companion. Once inside, De Mestral noticed how perfectly cockleburs bound to his dog's fur. So, with microscope in hand, he examined the bur closely.
He discovered that the cocklebur was lined with numerous tiny hooks that could easily attach to the loops of his clothing and the fur of his dog. With this concept in mind, De Mestral toyed around with other materials, creating surfaces with hooks and loops to develop a stronger bond.
4 PACEMAKER
Greatbatch intended to create a machine to mend a broken heart, his moment of discovery may surprise you. While building an oscillator to record heart beat sounds in animals at Cornell University in 1958, he accidentally grabbed the wrong transistor and installed it in his device. Realizing his mistake, Greatbatch was still curious to see what would happen. Not expecting the oscillator to work, he switched it on and heard a familiar, rhythmic pulsing sound -- a pattern remarkably similar to a heart.
5 VIAGRA
When Simon Campbell and David Roberts, two researchers working at the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, began studying the effectiveness of a new drug, they had no clue what their product would turn into. The two developed a drug they hoped would treat high blood pressure and a heart condition called angina scientists looked at the side effects of the trial, they noticed multiple patients reporting that the treatment led to erections. Rather than using the drug experimentally to treat blood pressure and heart issues, the company launched a new clinical trial to use the drug for erectile dysfunction disorder.
6 THE MICROWAVE OVEN
Spencer was visiting a lab at the Raytheon Company, when he noticed something strange while standing in front of the device.
Believe it or not, the contents of Spencer's pocket got his attention: a candy bar stored there had melted. Spencer, on the other hand, didn't melt. Spencer invented another machine with similar technology, which gave rise to the microwaves we see today.
7 X-rays
In 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was tinkering with a tube of cathode rays, the phosphorescent stream of electrons used today in everything from televisions to fluorescent light bulbs, when he noticed that a piece of paper covered in barium platinocyanide began to glow across the room.
Not knowing what the rays were, he named it X-radiation signifying the unknown nature.
He took an X-ray photograph of his wife's hand that showed her bones and a ring; the image aroused great interest and ensured his place in the history of medicine and science.
8 DYNAMITE
Nobel discovered the key to stabilizing the substance through another accident.
While transporting nitroglycerin, Nobel noticed that one of the cans accidentally broke open and leaked. He discovered that the material in which the cans were packed -- a sedimentary rock mixture called kieselguhr -- absorbed the liquid perfectly
9 CORN FLAKES
While conducting research with his brother and helping cook meals for patients, Kellogg stumbled upon a discovery that would change his life.
Responsible for making bread dough one day, Kellogg accidentally left his main ingredient -- boiled wheat -- sitting out for several hours. When he came back to roll the ingredient into dough, the wheat became flaky. Curious to see what would happen, Kellogg baked the flaky dough anyway, creating a crunchy and flaky snack. The flakes were a hit with patients, so Kellogg embarked on a mission to enhance the product for large-scale sale.
10 Matches
we can thank a British pharmacist and his dirty mixing stick. In 1826, John Walker noticed a dried lump on the end of a stick while he was stirring a mix of chemicals. When he tried to scrape it off, voila, sparks and flame. Jumping on the discovery, Walker marketed the first friction matches as “Friction Lights” and sold them at his pharmacy.
In 1844, Horace Wells attended an exhibit and witnessed a participant injure his leg while under the influence of laughing gas. The man, whose leg was bleeding, told Wells that he didn't feel any pain.
After his accidental discovery, Wells used the compound as an anesthetic while he removed his tooth.
2 PENICILLIN
Alexander Fleming, a Scottish bacteriologist, first put penicillin on the map after an incident in his lab. After returning from a two-week vacation in 1928, Fleming noticed that one of his petri dishes was the new home of a mysterious mold. Strangely, Fleming observed that existing bacteria in the dish did not grow where the mold grew, indicating its potential in staving off unwanted microorganisms. Fleming isolated, classified and described the mold. Producing large amounts of the mold, however, proved to be a difficult task.
3 VELCRO
George De Mestral, an electrical engineer, after returning from a walk with his canine companion. Once inside, De Mestral noticed how perfectly cockleburs bound to his dog's fur. So, with microscope in hand, he examined the bur closely.
He discovered that the cocklebur was lined with numerous tiny hooks that could easily attach to the loops of his clothing and the fur of his dog. With this concept in mind, De Mestral toyed around with other materials, creating surfaces with hooks and loops to develop a stronger bond.
4 PACEMAKER
Greatbatch intended to create a machine to mend a broken heart, his moment of discovery may surprise you. While building an oscillator to record heart beat sounds in animals at Cornell University in 1958, he accidentally grabbed the wrong transistor and installed it in his device. Realizing his mistake, Greatbatch was still curious to see what would happen. Not expecting the oscillator to work, he switched it on and heard a familiar, rhythmic pulsing sound -- a pattern remarkably similar to a heart.
5 VIAGRA
When Simon Campbell and David Roberts, two researchers working at the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, began studying the effectiveness of a new drug, they had no clue what their product would turn into. The two developed a drug they hoped would treat high blood pressure and a heart condition called angina scientists looked at the side effects of the trial, they noticed multiple patients reporting that the treatment led to erections. Rather than using the drug experimentally to treat blood pressure and heart issues, the company launched a new clinical trial to use the drug for erectile dysfunction disorder.
6 THE MICROWAVE OVEN
Spencer was visiting a lab at the Raytheon Company, when he noticed something strange while standing in front of the device.
Believe it or not, the contents of Spencer's pocket got his attention: a candy bar stored there had melted. Spencer, on the other hand, didn't melt. Spencer invented another machine with similar technology, which gave rise to the microwaves we see today.
7 X-rays
In 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was tinkering with a tube of cathode rays, the phosphorescent stream of electrons used today in everything from televisions to fluorescent light bulbs, when he noticed that a piece of paper covered in barium platinocyanide began to glow across the room.
Not knowing what the rays were, he named it X-radiation signifying the unknown nature.
He took an X-ray photograph of his wife's hand that showed her bones and a ring; the image aroused great interest and ensured his place in the history of medicine and science.
8 DYNAMITE
Nobel discovered the key to stabilizing the substance through another accident.
While transporting nitroglycerin, Nobel noticed that one of the cans accidentally broke open and leaked. He discovered that the material in which the cans were packed -- a sedimentary rock mixture called kieselguhr -- absorbed the liquid perfectly
9 CORN FLAKES
While conducting research with his brother and helping cook meals for patients, Kellogg stumbled upon a discovery that would change his life.
Responsible for making bread dough one day, Kellogg accidentally left his main ingredient -- boiled wheat -- sitting out for several hours. When he came back to roll the ingredient into dough, the wheat became flaky. Curious to see what would happen, Kellogg baked the flaky dough anyway, creating a crunchy and flaky snack. The flakes were a hit with patients, so Kellogg embarked on a mission to enhance the product for large-scale sale.
10 Matches
we can thank a British pharmacist and his dirty mixing stick. In 1826, John Walker noticed a dried lump on the end of a stick while he was stirring a mix of chemicals. When he tried to scrape it off, voila, sparks and flame. Jumping on the discovery, Walker marketed the first friction matches as “Friction Lights” and sold them at his pharmacy.