Captured accidents that lead to progress
- Microwave Oven (Percy Spencer, 1945): Discovered when a chocolate bar melted in Spencer's pocket near a magnetron.
- Post-it Notes (Spencer Silver and Arthur Fry, 1968): Developed when Silver accidentally created a weak adhesive.
- Super Glue (Harry Coover, 1942): Accidentally discovered while developing a clear plastic for gun sights.
- Teflon (Roy Plunkett, 1938): Accidentally discovered during the development of a new refrigerant.
- Radioactivity (Henri Becquerel, 1896): Discovered when uranium salts exposed photographic plates without sunlight.
- Aspartame (James M. Schlatter, 1965): Discovered when Schlatter was working on an anti-ulcer drug, leading to the creation of a widely used artificial sweetener.
- X-rays (Wilhelm Roentgen, 1895): Discovered when Roentgen observed a mysterious glow while experimenting with cathode rays, revolutionizing medical diagnostics.
- Vulcanized Rubber (Charles Goodyear, 1839): Discovered when Goodyear accidentally dropped a mixture of rubber and sulfur on a hot stove, resulting in a more durable material.
- Chemotherapy (Alfred Gilman and Louis Goodman, 1942): Discovered when Gilman and Goodman were investigating the effects of mustard gas on lymphoma patients, leading to the development of cancer treatment through chemotherapy.
- CorningWare (S. Donald Stookey, 1952): Invented when Stookey accidentally heat-treated a piece of glass, resulting in a durable and heat-resistant material for cooking.
- Polyethylene (Eric Fawcett and Reginald Gibson, 1933): Accidentally discovered when Fawcett and Gibson were investigating high-pressure reactions, resulting in the creation of a versatile plastic.
- Kevlar (Stephanie Kwolek, 1965): Accidentally discovered while Kwolek was searching for a lightweight fiber for car tires, resulting in a strong and heat-resistant material used in bulletproof vests.