We owe a lot to the inventive minds that have given us things that make life easier. Creating something ingenious takes a lot of time, effort, and knowledge. However, some just stumble upon something extraordinary, as they are trying to make something else entirely. Here are a couple of instances where that happened.
Melted Chocolate Leads to an Invention
Percy Lebaron Spencer, a physicist, was working on magnetrons, specifically high-powered vacuum tubes that create microwaves. As he was conducting his research, he noticed that the candy bar in his pocket had melted. He realized that the magnetrons were responsible for it, and filed a patent for the microwave oven we know today in 1945, as mentioned in Best Life Online.
X Stands for Unknown
Back in 1895, a physicist named Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen was experimenting on a vacuum tube covered in cardboard. In the background, a screen coated in chemicals started glowing. He called it an X-ray, with the "X" signifying that he did not know what it was. After delving deeper with the rays, he discovered that he can see his bones when placed in front of the glow.
Keep Up the Pace
John Hopps, an electrical engineer, was studying radio frequency heating to help with hypothermia. The main premise of his research was to restore ideal body temperature. As he conducted the research, he realized that artificial stimulation might restart the heart, once it stops beating due to cooling. Thus, the pacemaker was invented, according to Insider.
Ink + Eject = Inkjet
As far as accidental discoveries go, no one would think that putting hot iron on a pen by mistake would lead to a widely used device. An engineer at Canon did exactly that, and noticed that the ink from his pen was ejected from the pen after a while. From that mistake, the inkjet printer was invented.
Cooks Creating Magic
I've done a couple of weird experiments myself, but none of them led to something as spectacular as fireworks. A random cook from China put charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter in a bamboo tube, which resulted in an explosion. It's a mystery why the cook did that, but hey, it gave us fireworks.
Broken but Not Really
Edouard Benedictus, a French chemist, was in his lab working when he accidentally knocked over a flask. As he looked, he noticed that the flask did not break into many pieces, and actually maintained its form. As studied why that is, he realized that the cellulose nitrate coating made it that way. Ergo, the invention of the safety glass.
When Giving Up Led to Success
It's a rare case for someone to give up only to discover something because of it. A scientist named Alexander Fleming threw his experiments away in frustration. He noticed that the Petri dish he threw out had mold called Penicillium Notatum, which dissolved the bacteria within it. It was then that Penicillin was invented.
Fueling Inspirations
A textile maker, Jean Baptiste Jolly, has his helper to thank for the idea, as she knocked over a kerosene lamp by accident. Jolly saw how the kerosene made the tablecloth cleaner, contrary to staining it. This sparked the idea of dry cleaning.
