Top 10 Revolutionary Inventions That Were Created by Accident
Here are ten of the most amazing inventions that have changed the world, albeit unintentionally. While many inventions require years of careful planning, research, and testing, some incredible discoveries were just a stroke of luck. These accidental inventions have improved everyday life, changed industries, and in some cases, even saved lives.
1. Penicillin
When Dr. Alexander Fleming discovered something that would change medicine in 1928, he was studying microorganisms at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. Fleming unintentionally exposed a laboratory dish to mold spores while dealing with Staphylococcus germs. He discovered that the germs close to the mold had perished when he got back.
The mold, which was identified as Penicillium notatum, created a chemical called penicillin that had the ability to eradicate a wide range of dangerous germs. Millions of lives were saved by penicillin, the first real antibiotic that established the groundwork for contemporary medicine.
Accidental Discovery: Left petri dish uncovered, exposed to mold.
2. Microwave Oven
A chocolate bar and an inventor by the name of Percy Spencer led to the invention of the microwave oven. Spencer discovered that the chocolate bar in his pocket melted when he was near a magnetron tube in 1945 while he was working on radar technology for the Raytheon Corporation. He was intrigued and used the same device to heat eggs and pop corn kernels, which produced explosive results (literally, the egg exploded).
Spencer created the first microwave oven after realizing that food could be heated by the magnetron’s microwave emissions. Microwaves are becoming a necessary kitchen tool in every country.
Accidental Discovery: A melting chocolate bar in a radar lab.
3. X-rays
In 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen made the unintentional discovery of X-rays, which are now a vital diagnostic tool. Roentgen saw an odd fluorescence on a nearby screen while he was working on cathode ray studies. He discovered that the rays could create an image of the interior of solid things after passing through them. The field of radiology began when his experiments even turned up the bones in his hand. X-rays are still essential for medical research, diagnosis, and therapy.
Accidental Discovery: Unintended fluorescence during cathode ray experiments.
4. Vulcanized Rubber
After years of experimenting with various materials, Charles Goodyear discovered vulcanized rubber. Goodyear created a more robust and long-lasting substance in 1839 when they unintentionally spilled a rubber and sulfur mixture over a hot stove. Vulcanized rubber could tolerate high temperatures, in contrast to natural rubber, which gets brittle in the cold and sticky in the heat.
In addition to revolutionizing the automotive industry, sports equipment, and countless other products, this breakthrough resulted in the manufacture of more durable tires.
Accidental Discovery: Dropping a rubber-sulfur mixture onto a hot stove.
5. The Pacemaker
In 1956, American engineer Wilson Greatbatch made a mistake by putting the incorrect kind of resistor into his circuits while attempting to build a gadget that would record cardiac rhythms. A regular electrical pulse that uncannily resembled the beat of a human heart was created by this miscalculation. Greatbatch saw the opportunity and created the first implantable pacemaker, which has helped patients with heart irregularities control their heartbeats and saved millions of lives.
Accidental Discovery: Inserting the wrong resistor in an electrical circuit.
6. Safety Glass
Edouard Benedictus, a French chemist, made the discovery of safety glass, often referred to as laminated glass, in 1903. He discovered that a glass flask coated with plastic cellulose that he had unintentionally knocked off a shelf shattered but remained largely intact.
Benedictus saw that this might help keep potentially harmful glass fragments from flying during collisions. Because it protects drivers and passengers and lowers accident injuries, safety glass has become widely employed in the car industry.
Accidental Discovery: A glass flask coated with plastic that didn’t shatter when dropped.
7. The Implantable Artificial Heart
Even though the idea of an artificial heart was not new, Dr. Robert Jarvik’s surprising realization accelerated the development of the implanted artificial heart. He encountered challenges while developing the design, which ultimately resulted in a breakthrough in simulating the pumping movement of the human heart. Through an unintentional design change, Jarvik was able to effectively develop a device that has since helped patients with serious cardiac diseases live longer.
Accidental Discovery: Design modification based on observed difficulties in construction.
8. Teflon
Chemist Roy Plunkett made the unintentional discovery of Teflon in 1938; it is well recognized for its application in non-stick cookware. When Plunkett opened a cylinder of gas at DuPont to experiment with refrigerants, he discovered an odd white, waxy material instead. This material, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), was extremely slick and corrosion-resistant. PTFE, which was eventually sold under the Teflon brand, was widely used in machining, cooking, and even aerospace.
Accidental Discovery: Opening a canister of gas to find a slippery, resilient wax.
9. Post-It Notes
Dr. Spencer Silver, a 3M scientist, started the Post-It Notes narrative by attempting to create an extremely durable glue. Rather, he unintentionally produced a low-tack glue that was simple to remove and repurpose. A colleague later used the invention to create bookmarks that wouldn’t harm paper, despite the fact that it didn’t have an immediate use. Eventually, this resulted in the creation of Post-It Notes, which are now commonplace in homes and workplaces worldwide.
Accidental Discovery: A weak adhesive that could be easily removed and reapplied.
10. Velcro
Although it was found by chance, velcro was inspired by nature. During a trip in 1941, Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral observed that burrs were constantly adhering to his clothes and his dog’s fur. He looked at the burrs under a microscope out of curiosity and noticed small hooks that attached to loops of cloth. He created Velcro, a hook-and-loop fastener that has proven indispensable in a variety of fields, including fashion and space exploration, as a result of this discovery.
Accidental Discovery: Noticing burrs sticking to fabric and fur, and investigating their structure.