Not all necessary and useful things in the world were deliberately invented or discovered by scientists. Some human creations that bring benefit, joy, and improve or simplify our lives were not the result of scientific work and appeared quite accidentally.
1. Viagra
A remedy for erectile dysfunction was discovered quite accidentally by British scientists. They were developing drugs for people suffering from heart conditions. The new drug was supposed to improve blood flow to the human body, to the heart muscle. However, after using the drugs, blood began to flow in the opposite direction—down. This led to the creation of a life-saving remedy for many men.
2. Penicillin
Biologist Sir Alexander Fleming had long been studying staphylococcal bacteria. Fleming was absent-minded, and one day it worked in his favor. Returning from vacation, he noticed that mold had covered one of the glass culture dishes. Later, the biologist noticed that the mold-infected samples had stopped growing. Not putting much hope in such a discovery, Fleming nevertheless conducted research and published the results. However, his work gained attention only in 1945, when other scientists, building on his research, conducted new experiments and achieved the possibility of producing penicillin on an industrial scale.
3. Coca-Cola
In 1886, Dr. John Pemberton, a pharmacist, tried to prepare a mixture based on extracts from the South American plant "coca" and African "cola" nuts, which have tonic properties. Pemberton tried the prepared mixture and realized that it had a good taste. He believed that this syrup could help people suffering from fatigue, stress, and toothache. The pharmacist brought the syrup to the largest pharmacy in the city of Atlanta. On the same day, the first portions of syrup were sold for five cents a glass. However, the drink Coca-Cola appeared as a result of negligence. Accidentally, the seller who diluted the syrup mixed up the taps and poured carbonated water instead of ordinary water. The resulting mixture became "Coca-Cola."
4. Velcro
Returning home after a walk with his dog, Swiss engineer George de Mestral found that his coat and the wool of his pet were covered in burrs. Being an inventor, George became interested in the situation and began to examine the burrs under a microscope. George de Mestral saw that the plant attaches itself due to its tiny hooks. Borrowing the idea from Mother Nature, the inventor made two ribbons that stuck to each other upon touch.
5. Tea Bag
American Thomas Sullivan was a tea supplier. In 1904, he sent a shipment of tea not in iron cans, as usual, but in silk bags. Customers did not understand that the bags were chosen by Sullivan simply as a means of storing tea and began to brew the drink directly in them. This way of making tea immediately became recognized as very convenient and gradually gained popularity.
6. Microwave Oven
The device for quickly heating food was invented in 1945 by American engineer Percy Spencer thanks to sheer chance. Percy was working on devices that would generate microwave radio signals. Once, standing near a working magnetron, Spencer found that the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted. The engineer quickly realized that such an incident could be directed into the right channel, leading to research that led to the creation of the first microwave oven.
7. Potato Chips
An interesting coincidence led to the birth of potato chips. In 1853, in one of the towns in New York State, the entire staff of a restaurant was at a loss because of one particularly fastidious visitor. Railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt repeatedly refused the French fries brought to him, saying that the potatoes in the dish were too moist and thickly sliced. When the next portion was rejected, chef George Crum got angry and decided to get back at the customer. Crum deliberately thinly sliced the potatoes and fried them in oil until completely dry. Strangely enough, the finicky Vanderbilt liked this dish. Potato chips immediately became the main item on the menu and then gained worldwide popularity.
8. Safety Glass
In 1903, French scientist Eduard Benedictus accidentally dropped an empty glass flask on his foot. To his surprise, the flask did not break but only cracked. Benedictus decided to find out how this could have happened and concluded that the cause was a solution of cellulose, which was in the flask before the scientist dropped it. This solution evaporated, leaving a thin layer on the vessel walls, which prevented the glass shards from scattering. The introduction of this discovery into the automotive industry occurred only after the First World War.
9. Vulcanized Rubber
The ancestor of rubber can be considered Christopher Columbus himself. It was he who brought rubber balls from America in 1496, which for a long time did not find a practical application. This was due to the fact that rubber quickly deteriorated, smelled bad, and became sticky when the temperature rose. The application of rubber was found only in 1839 thanks to the carelessness of the scientist Charles Goodyear. Conducting experiments in his laboratory, Charles mixed rubber with sulfur and accidentally introduced this mixture into a hot oven. The result of this carelessness was rubber, which surrounds us today in the form of objects such as car tires, boots, and balls.
10. Trash Bag
Strangely enough, trash bags were only widely used in 1950. The municipal authorities turned to engineer Harry Vasylyuk for help in solving the problem of garbage falling out when loaded from containers into trucks. Initially, Vasylyuk pondered over a device that would work like a vacuum cleaner and suck garbage into the machine. Suddenly, he remembered the joking words of his friend about how good it would be to have a bag for garbage. Here, Vasylyuk became enthusiastic about the idea of disposable bags, which he suggested making from polyethylene. The bags quickly came into use.
