10 inventions that appeared by pure chance

On May 14, 1878, the trademark "Vaseline"was patented. The well-known cosmetic and therapeutic agent was invented and patented by the English chemist Robert Chesbro, who emigrated to America. In this invention, the scientist was "helped" by oil workers.

And we decided to recall other well-known and undoubtedly useful inventions that were created completely by accident. 

Thomas Edison said: "Everything comes to someone who works and knows how to wait." But progress is not always the goal. Some brilliant ideas come to mind completely by accident. 

1. Superglue

In 1942, the American physicist Dr. Harry Coover tried to separate the transparent plastic for the optical sights of portable weapons. During the experiment, he worked with cyanocrylate, which firmly glued the test materials. But only after 6 years, Dr. Coover realized the full potential of this substance, which does not need any pressure or heat. This is how superglue was created.

Interesting fact — during the Vietnam War, superglue was used to stop bleeding in open wounds. That's how the invention, which was supposed to improve the weapon, saved many lives.

2. Stickers

American physicist Spencer Silver invented glue, but self-adhesive note sheets were created by Arthur Fry. In 1968, Silver tried to create an adhesive to work perfectly with paper, so that you can peel off the paper without tearing it. In addition, the glue had to be suitable for reusable use.

At the company where Silver worked, no one was interested in this idea. Until Arthur Fry started using glue to glue the bookmarks in the psalter. It was he who suggested using the glue invented by Silver for sticky reusable bookmarks. So the idea gained popularity.

3. Inkjet printer

A Canon engineer accidentally put a hot soldering iron on the handle. And when the ink flowed, the idea for creating an inkjet printer arose.

4. Dynamite

Dynamite was discovered by Alfred Nobel. He was trying to make the nitroglycerin more stable to avoid accidental explosions. The vial of the substance fell to the floor, where there was a lot of sawdust. The sawdust gave a little stability, and the bubble didn't explode. Nobel improved the formula by adding silica to the nitroglycerin. And so dynamite appeared.

5. Vaseline

English chemist Robert Chesbro in 1859 noticed that many workers in the oil industry complain about a waxy substance - "paraffin", which accumulated in the pipes of oil pumps. Chesbro immediately took a sample of the substance and began to experiment. It turned out that oil jelly perfectly heals wounds and cuts. The chemist gave it the name "vaseline" — (German. wasser — water and Greek. elaion — oil). The range of applications of vaseline at that time was wide-from cleaning the carpet to cleaning the nose. The author believed so much in the miraculous powers of vaseline that he ate a spoonful of it a day all his life. He died at the age of 96.

6. Viagra

The original purpose of Viagra is to treat angina. But when the pharmaceutical company Pfizer studied the side effects, it found that high blood pressure does not drop, but the subjects have a great erection. So the company changed the type of tests and began to investigate erectile dysfunction and the effects of viagra on it. In 1998, the quality control administration approved the drug, and since then, many men have started a fun life

7. Stainless steel

English metallurgist Harry Brearley tried to create a stainless steel alloy for the production of weapons.

Stainless steel appeared when he mixed 12.8% chromium with 0.24% carbon. The resulting alloy was resistant even to the acids of vinegar and lemon juice. Later, the inventor realized that the resulting alloy was ideal for cutlery, which was then made of silver and carbon steel and gradually fell into disrepair due to corrosion.

8. LSD

D-lysergic acid diethylamide was discovered by Swiss scientist Albert Hofmann, who was trying to create a drug that relieves pain during childbirth. The resulting substance seemed unremarkable to him, and he put it on the shelf. In 1943, while working without gloves, accidentally receiving a large dose of the substance, he realized the true properties of the compound. He felt "a continuous flow of fantastic paintings, unusual shapes with an intense kaleidoscopic play of color."

9. Tea bag

Thomas Sullivan, a merchant in a New York store, decided that selling tea in silk bags would be much more convenient, and sales of tea skyrocketed. It turned out that the customers mistakenly lowered the full bags into boiling water, and they liked the result.

10. Microwave oven

In 1946, engineer Percy Spencer tested a magnetron that emits microwave waves. During the tests, the chocolate in his pocket melted. Percy assumed it was because of the magnetron, and placed the popcorn grains next to the device. After receiving the popcorn, Spencer decided to cook an egg, but it exploded. All this led him to believe that low-frequency energy helps to cook food quickly, and a year later, the first microwave oven appeared.