Here are the 10 Greatest Accidental Inventions & Discoveries.
Vulcanized Rubber
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| Vulcanized Rubber |
During the early 19th Century, the footwear industry was evolving due to the popularity of natural rubber which was used to make shoes and boots waterproof. However, natural rubber could not handle extreme temperatures, both heat, and cold. The future of natural rubber looked bleak, frustrating both manufacturers and consumers.
Charles Goodyear, an American self-taught chemist saw a future for rubber if only it could be made more durable. And it in 1839 was during one of his very many trials and experiments that he accidentally dropped his rubber concoction onto a hot stove and what resulted was material that resembled leather but was elastic and weatherproof rubber was born.
Sadly, Charles Goodyear never reaped the rewards of his hard work. He died with over $200,000 worth of debt, however, his name and legacy would be carried on 40 years after his death in the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (which was named after him).
The Microwave
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| Microwave |
This everyday household item was accidentally discovered by Percy Spencer an electronic genius, in 1945 when he was exploring a microwave emitting magnetron, a chocolate bar that was in his pocket started to melt due to the microwaves being released by the magnetron.
Percy realized the potential use for this and quickly set out to create the microwave oven which was a game changer in the culinary industry.
Super Glue
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| Super Glue |
National Medal of Technology award recipient, Harry Coover invented the Super Glue totally by accident. While working at Kodak, Coover created a material called cyanoacrylates. Which was pretty much useless. Soldiers in the 1st and 2nd World Wars tried it out as a quick substitute for stitches, but the material was too sticky so it was rejected.
Almost a decade later, the Kodak Chemists were looking for materials that can be used in the making of thermal-resistant canopies and cyanoacrylates were tried out, but they were rejected again because they were too sticky. This was a successful failure for Coover because it was at that moment that he realized it was actually the material’s strength, being too sticky, in fact very sticky.
Final experiments were done and Super Glue was finally available to the public, marketed by Kodak.
Teflon
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| Teflon |
The real Teflon Don, Roy Plunkett is the guy you need to thank for that stress-free omelet or pancake. As a chemist, Roy was trying to find a new type of chlorofluorocarbons (used in things like air conditioners and refrigerators). During one of his experiments, he filled a canister full of chlorofluorocarbons and put it in a refrigeration chamber and when he later came to check on the experiment, he found the canister empty, save for a few sporadic white flakes.
He had accidentally discovered Teflon a lubricant with an exceptionally high melting point. Teflon is widely used in the military and right there at your home on non-stick cookware.
Penicillin
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| Penicillin |
The mother of all antibiotics was discovered in 1929 when Alexander Fleming un-intentionally left a Petri dish containing Staphylococcus bacteria uncovered while he was going off for vacation. When he returned from the vacation, while he was cleaning up his lab and he found the Petri dish with some kind of mold that had killed the bacteria that was in the dish.
Penicillium had been discovered. Alexander also found that it could kill other types of bacteria too. So he started giving it to small animals.
The Potato Chip (a.k.a. Crisps)
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| Potato Chips/ Crisps |
The year was 1853 and a Saratoga Springs restaurant cook by the name George Crum was super pissed at a wealthy patron for constantly returning his food saying his French style potatoes were thickly cut. So after returning his food for the third time, Mr. Crum decided to cut the slices as thinly as he could, fried them to kingdom come and covered them with a handful of salt.
To his surprise, the guy loved it so much he ordered another round! The fad caught on like bushfire and the snacking industry has never been the same again.
Viagra
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| Viagra |
The little blue pill was initially a drug that was being tested to treat patients with hypertension and heart disease. The drug was tested on patients in two phases but their conditions were not improving. However, a majority of the patients reported having experienced an increased libido whenever they took the pill.
In 1996 Pfizer patented Viagra and the USFDA approved its use for patients with erectile dysfunction in 1998. The sale of Viagra continues to surpass more than $1 Billion annually.
Chewing Gum
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| Chewing Gum |
Thomas Adams was experimenting with Chicle, the sap from a tree that is indigenous to South America, he was trying to find a substitute for rubber, however, he experienced failure after failure and the failure led to boredom, and the boredom led to curiosity and one day he popped a piece of the Chicle in his mouth and he liked it!
Soon after, Adams New York No. 1 became the first mass-produced chewing gum in history.
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