12 UNBELIEVABLE INVENTIONS

Some of the world’s greatest inventions and scientific discoveries were found by accident. For example, where would we be today if the discoverer of penicillin, Alexander Fleming, hadn’t gone on holiday in 1928 and returned to find a fungus killing bacteria in his Petri dishes?

History is awash with examples similar to Fleming’s unexpected discovery. Like the humble Post-it Note, which was created by Dr Spencer Silver in 1968. His experiments with strong adhesives instead left him with a substance that lacked the grab of glue, but could stick to surfaces and peel away easily. Teflon is another product where a discovery was made by chance. In 1938, Dr Roy J. Plunkett was experimenting with different refrigerant gases, including tetrafluoroethylene (TFE). In one refrigerator the gas appeared to be missing, but upon further inspection, Plunkett found that the TFE had polymerised into a white powder called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This new substance was super slippery and had a high melting point, making it perfect for creating non-stick kitchenware.

Some discoveries were made after an invention had already hit the supermarket shelves. They’re proof that just because something is created for one purpose doesn’t mean it can’t be