Archimedes discovered the law of buoyancy
Ten of mankind’s greatest accidental scientific discoveries
1. Microwaves
Discovered by: Per Percy Spencer, an American Raytheon engineer, is another famous electronics wizard. In 1945, while Spencer was testing a microwave radiator (magnetron) used in radar equipment, he suddenly felt something was wrong in the pocket of his trousers and even heard a hissing sound. Spencer stopped what he was doing and discovered that a chocolate bar in his pocket had melted. He guessed that the microwaves emitted by the magnetron had melted the chocolate. From this, he immediately realized that microwaves might be applied to kitchen cooking, so the microwave oven was born. This kind of kitchen appliance can be said to be a great savior for snack lovers and bachelors around the world.
2. Saccharin
Inventors: Ira Lemson and Konstantin Fachberg in 1879, when they were in the laboratory of Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Ira Lemson and Konstantin Fachberg went home to eat at work. As they were eating, they suddenly stopped. Fachberg forgot to wash his hands before eating. Most chemists would die if they encountered this situation, but Fachberg accidentally discovered the artificial sweetener-saccharin. Regarding this discovery, the two of them published a paper together, but only Fachberg's name was on the patent for saccharin, so he secretly applied for a patent for saccharin. Later Lemson said: "Fachberg is a scoundrel, and it is disgusting to have my name appear with his."
3. Stuffed toys
Invention By: Richard James In 1943, naval engineer Richard James was trying to figure out how to use springs to secure sensitive equipment on a ship to prevent them from shaking when he randomly knocked on a prototype with his hand. As a result, the thing did not fall to the ground, but bounced upward slightly and then returned to its original shape. This spring became a childhood toy for many people. Annual global sales are 300 million units.
4. Plasticine
Inventor: Kutol Products Company Before plasticine became a popular toy for children, it was originally designed as a cleaning product. It first entered the market as a cleaner for dirty wallpaper. The discovery saved Kutol Products, which was about to go bankrupt, not because of how well it cleaned, but because schoolchildren started using it to make Christmas decorations. The company removed the detergents from the plasticine and added paint and a good smell, making it one of the most popular toys in the world. This change made the company on the verge of bankruptcy a huge success. Sometimes you don't know how smart you are until others notice you.
5. Super Glue
Inventor: Harry Coover In 1942, Harry Coover of Eastman-Kodak Laboratory discovered a substance he invented— — Cyanoacrylate adhesive was not as suitable for use on a new precision ruler as he had hoped because it would stick to everything it touched. He quickly forgot about it. Six years later, while Coover was inspecting an experimental new design for an airplane cockpit cover, he again proved that cyanoacrylate adhesive was as useless as before. But this time he noticed that the substance was very sticky without heating. Coover and his team were piecing together objects of varying viscosity in the lab when they realized they had finally found a use for something like this. He patented the invention, and in 1958, 16 years after he was first glued, cyanoacrylate adhesive began to hit store shelves.
6. Polytetrafluoroethylene
Discovered by: Roy Plunkett Next time you make a simple and convenient omelette, be sure to thank chemist Roy Plunkett Plankter accidentally discovered polytetrafluoroethylene in 1938. Plunkett, who was hoping to generate a new type of fluorocarbon, returned to the lab to look at an experiment he had conducted in the freezer.
He inspected a container that was supposed to be filled with gas, only to find that the gas had disappeared, leaving only some white spots on the walls of the container. Plunkett was very interested in these mysterious chemicals and began to experiment again. In the end, this new substance proved to be a strange lubricant with an extremely high melting point, making it very suitable for use in military equipment. This material is now widely used in non-stick pans.
7. Phenolic plastic
Discovered by: Leo Backlund In 1907, shellac was widely used as an insulating material inside early electronic devices (radios, telephones, etc.). It's a good material, but shellac is made from Asian beetle droppings and isn't the cheapest or easiest way to insulate wires. Belgian chemist Leo Backlund invented polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride - the world's first synthetic plastic, often called phenolic plastic. This plastic can be pressed into various shapes and dyed in various colors, does not deform in high temperature environments, and is very wear-resistant, making it a new favorite among manufacturers, jewelers and industrial designers.
8. Pacemaker
Inventor: Wilson Greatbatch Associate Professor Wilson Greatbatch of the State University of New York at Buffalo believes that he He may have ruined his research plan. Instead of a 10,000-ohm resistor for the heart-recording prototype, he used a 1-megaohm resistor. It turned out that the circuit produced a signal that was very similar to a human heartbeat. Greatbatch immediately realized that this precise current might be able to regulate the pulse and restore normal heartbeats that had been weakened by illness. Previously, pacemakers were as large as a television set and were temporarily attached to the outside of the patient's body. Today's pacemakers are so small that they can even be implanted into a patient's chest.
9. Hook and loop tape
Inventor: George de Mestral Swiss engineer George de Mestral was in the process of inventing hook and loop tape. , dogs play an extremely important role, it is no exaggeration to say so. One day Mestral took his dog hunting in the forest. When he came back, he found that the dog was covered in thorns. Later, Mestral observed under a microscope and discovered that it was the small "barbs" on the thorns that allowed them to stick firmly to fabrics and animal hair. He conducted many years of research with various fabrics before nylon was born. 20 years later, NASA also particularly liked hook and loop tapes.
10. X-ray
Discoverer: Wilhelm Roentgen X-ray is a phenomenon in nature, so humans cannot generate it. Even scientists discovered X-rays by accident. In 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen was conducting an experiment involving cathode rays when he noticed that a piece of fluorescent cardboard across from his house had ignited. A thick shield was placed between his cathode emitter and the radiating cardboard, indicating that light particles were passing through the shield. A very surprised Roentgen soon discovered that this incredible radiation could produce clear images. The first X-ray photo was of the hand bones of Roentgen's wife. (Yang Xiaowen)