Accidental Science Discoveries

Roentgen discovered X-rays by accident.

Serendipity has often played an important role in scientific discoveries. Sometimes a carefully planned experiment has produced unexpected results. On other occasions, careless actions have led to significant discoveries.

Synthetic Substances

Accident played a role in the discovery of several synthetic materials. William Perkins discovered aniline purple, the first synthetic organic dye, while trying to develop a synthetic antimalarial medicine. Roy Plunkett discovered Teflon while trying to develop a gas that would cool refrigerators effectively.

Piggy-Back Serendipity

Sometimes one serendipitous accident leads to another. Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays while experimenting with cathode rays. In turn, Henri Becquerel accidentally discovered radioactivity while experimenting with X-rays.

Carelessness

Carelessness sometimes plays a role in scientific discoveries Charles Goodyear discovered the vulcanization of rubber when he accidentally dropped the right ingredients on a hot stove. Constantin Fahlberg discovered the sweetness of saccharin because he neglected to wash his hands before eating some bread. Alexander Fleming left some cultures of Staphylococcus bacteria sitting around in his laboratory. A fungus grew on the culture and killed the bacteria in the area around it, leading to the discovery of penicillin.

Misunderstood Discoveries

Sometimes a scientist does not understand his accidental discovery. When Luigi Galvani accidentally discovered current flow, he thought it was animal electricity. Volta corrected his mistake.

References

• European Patent Office: Alexander Fleming (1881-1955, Great Britain)---Penicillin
• Corrosion Doctors: Luigi Galvani (1737-1798)
• Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias: Mauveine
• "The Basics of Chemistry"; Richard Myers; 1951
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology: The Madman Who Made Rubber Useful
• National Center for Biotechnology Information: Two Generation Saccharin Bioassays