5 Scientific Discoveries made by Mistake

From ancient times to the present, every discovery seems to tell a new story. But the story behind every discovery rarely comes before us. And if we can get to the bottom of what we know, we can see the level of hard work and pursuit. But it’s not just a story of perseverance; there are some funny or bizarre facts behind some scientific discoveries. In short, not all findings were purposeful. There were some discoveries that no one had any idea about. In fact, these discoveries were made by mistake or by accident at the hands of various scientists.

Today we will learn about some of the scientific discoveries that have been made in this way. So let’s take a look at some of the findings.

1. X-ray

In 1895, Wilhelm Rontgen invented the X-ray. However, this German scientist discovered X-rays without knowing it. One day in 1895, he was experimenting with a cathode ray tube. He was trying to see if the cathode ray could penetrate through the glass. The cathode ray tube was covered with a thick black cloth at the test time, and the room was completely dark. Nevertheless, Rontgen noticed a strange thing. He saw a green light emanating from a cathode ray tube on a fluorescent screen next to the cathode ray tube. After noticing this, his interest increased, and he did more experiments. He saw that this strange ray of light could penetrate through most objects. Rontgen named this ray of unknown and peculiar power ‘x-ray,’ meaning ‘unknown ray.’

2. Penicillin

In 1929, Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered the world’s first antibiotic, penicillin, in his laboratory. Alexander Fleming was a bacteriologist at St. Mary’s Hospital. The Staphylococcus aureus bacterium was cultured in a petri dish in his laboratory before the service went out on summer vacation. However, after the holiday, he was a little surprised. He found some fungi in the Petri dish of his cultured Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. And this fungus was Penicillium notatum.

He examined under a microscope and found that the fungus was interfering with the expected growth of staphylococci. Alexander Fleming collected several penicillin fungi over several weeks. He discovered that penicillin had specific properties that inhibited the normal development of bacteria and prevented many infectious diseases.

Although other scientists have contributed to the discovery of penicillin, it all started suddenly.

3. Microwave oven

One day in 1945, an American engineer named Percy Spencer worked in a lab. He was working on a high-powered vacuum tube inside a magnetron radar. While working with a magnetron, Spencer noticed that a peanut butter candy bar in his pocket had begun to melt. Spencer realized that this was due to the microwave used on the radar.

After various experiments, he made the first microwave oven in 1945, which was massive. Microwave ovens have been used in homes in the United States since 1986. Microwave is now a widely used device in the world.

4. Chloroform

Before discovering chloroform, it was not used as an anaesthetic in patients undergoing surgery. That is, the operation was performed without anaesthetizing the patient. However, after discovering chloroform in 1847, it started to be used as an anaesthetic in various fields, including surgery.

Sir James Young Simpson was involved in long research on anaesthetics. One day in 1847, during a conversation with invited guests at his home in Edinburgh, he wondered what it was like to examine his own discovery.

He brought chloroform in a bottle to the guests. Then no one else remembers anything! He regained consciousness the following day while the guests were lying unconscious side by side. At first, he was scared. When everyone’s knowledge returns later, be assured.

Simpson finally made the discovery known to everyone in 1947. The use of chloroform internationally to anaesthetize patients began in just three years.

5. Artificial colour

William Parkin, 18, worked as a lab assistant in London. He was tasked with discovering a new way to make quinine, a malaria drug. While he was working on it around 1864, he saw a solid purple substance under the used beaker after a failed attempt. Instead of throwing it away, Perkin tested it and soon realized that he had created an artificial colour that was more vibrant than other natural colours.