One of negative consequences technology development in modern world are car accidents. Every year they claim the lives of more than 1 million people, and more than fifty million suffer injuries of varying severity. Contributed to the process of reducing the number of victims and injuries on the roads French chemist Edward Benedictus.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Benedictus, while conducting experiments, accidentally caught a flask, which, having fallen from a shelf, did not break into pieces, but only cracked, retaining its original shape. This episode made Edward think. An ether-alcohol solution of cellulose nitrate was previously stored in this vessel, which, having evaporated, left a thin layer of cellulose nitrate on the walls of the flask, which did not interfere with observing the contents of the vessel.
In those days, car windshields were made of completely ordinary glass, which during an accident shattered into a large number of sharp fragments, seriously injuring the driver and passengers.
It was one of these cases with a car accident, which Benedictus learned about from the newspapers, that made the scientist remember the surviving flask. After conducting several experiments with coating glass with cellulose nitrate, he found an option that was ideal for automobile glass. Its essence was as follows: a layer of cellulose nitrate was placed between two ordinary glasses. After heating such a “sandwich,” the inner layer melted, and the glasses were reliably glued together.
Such double-glazed windows even withstood a blow with a hammer, while they cracked, but did not crumble into fragments and retained their original shape. So, in 1909, glass called “Triplex” was invented and patented by Eduard Benedictus.
Around the same time, another scientist, the Englishman John Wood, was struggling with the problem of creating safety glass. He received his patent for the invention of special glass in 1905. However, Wood glass did not go into mass production due to high cost consumables. The essence of his invention was that instead of cellulose nitrate in inner layer Expensive rubber was used. In addition, the final product lost some of its transparency, which caused discomfort for drivers.
At first, car manufacturers also did not like Benedictus’ invention, as it increased its cost. But it was appreciated by the military. Triplex glass has passed baptism of fire during the First World War, because they were used in gas masks.
Henry Ford was the first to introduce triplexes in the automotive industry. This happened in 1919. It took about 15 years for other car manufacturers to start using triplexes. Such glasses are still used today.
What is needed for an invention? Many will answer that this will require months and years of research and experience. In classical cases this is exactly what happens. However, history knows many cases when important inventions were done completely by accident. Moreover we're talking about not only about scientific, but also completely household things. Let's talk about the most famous of them.
Penicillin. Penicillin was discovered in 1928. The author of the accidental invention was Alexander Fleming, who at that time was researching influenza. According to legend, the scientist was not careful enough and did not bother to frequently wash laboratory glassware immediately after research. So, he could store influenza cultures for 2-3 weeks in 30-40 cups at a time. And then one day, in one of the Petri dishes, the scientist discovered mold, which, to his amazement, was able to destroy the sown culture of staphylococcus bacteria. This aroused Fleming's interest; it turned out that the mold that infected the crop was a very rare species. It most likely got into the laboratory from the room on the floor below, where mold samples taken from patients with bronchial asthma were grown. Fleming left the cup that was to become famous on the table and went on vacation. Then a cold spell came in London, which created favorable conditions for mold growth. The subsequent warming favored the growth of bacteria. It turned out later. What exactly was this coincidence of circumstances that led to the birth of such important discovery. Moreover, its significance has gone far beyond the 20th century. After all, penicillin helped and still helps save the lives of millions of people. People paid tribute to the scientist; after Fleming's death, he was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral in London, placing him on a par with the most famous Englishmen. In Greece, on the day of Fleming’s death, national mourning was even declared.
X-rays or X-Rays. The author of the discovery was the physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in 1895. The scientist conducted experiments in a darkened room, trying to understand whether cathode rays, discovered only recently, could pass through a vacuum tube or not. Changing the shape of the cathode, Roentgen accidentally saw that a blurry greenish cloud appeared on a chemically cleaned screen at a distance of several pounds. It seemed that a weak flash from induction coil was able to reflect in the mirror. This effect interested the scientist so much that he devoted seven whole weeks to it, practically without leaving the laboratory. As a result, it turned out that the glow occurs due to direct rays emanating from the cathode ray tube. The radiation itself gives a shadow, and it cannot be deflected by a magnet. Having applied the effect on a person, it became clear that bones cast a denser shadow than soft tissue. This is still used in fluoroscopy today. The first one appeared in the same year x-ray. It was a photograph of the hand of the scientist's wife, on whose finger there was a clearly visible gold ring. So the first test subject was a woman whom the men could see right through. At that time, nothing was known about the dangers of radiation - there were even photo studios where single and family photographs were taken.
Vulcanized rubber. In 1496, Columbus brought a wonderful thing from the West Indies - rubber balls. At the time it seemed like a magical but useless pastime. In addition, rubber also had its drawbacks - it stank and rotted quickly, and when warm it became too sticky, and also hardened greatly in the cold. No wonder people for a long time could not find a use for rubber. Only 300 years later, in 1839, this problem was solved by Charles Goodyear. In his chemical laboratory, the scientist tried to mix rubber with magnesium, nitric acid, lime, but it was all to no avail. An attempt to mix rubber with sulfur also ended in failure. But then, quite accidentally, this mixture was dropped onto a hot stove. This is how we got the elastic rubber that surrounds us everywhere today. These include car tires, balls and galoshes.
Cellophane. In 1908, Swiss chemist Jacques Brandenberger, working for the textile industry, was looking for ways to create a coating for kitchen tablecloths that would be as stain-resistant as possible. The developed rigid viscose coating was too stiff for its intended purpose, but Jacques believed in the material and suggested using it for product packaging. However, the first machine for the production of cellophane appeared only 10 years later - that’s how long it took the Swiss scientist to realize his idea.
Safety glass. Today this combination of words is not surprising, but in 1903 everything was completely different. Then the French scientist Edouard Benedictus dropped an empty glass flask on his foot. The dishes did not break and this surprised him very much. Of course, the walls were covered with a network of cracks, but the shape remained intact. The scientist tried to find out what caused this phenomenon. It turned out that before this there was a solution of collodion in the flask, which is a solution of cellulose nitrates in a mixture of ethanol and ethyl ether. Although the liquid evaporated, a thin layer remained on the walls of the vessel. At this time, the automobile industry developed in France. Back then, the windshield was made of ordinary glass, which resulted in many injuries to drivers. Benedictus realized how his invention could be used in this area and thereby save many lives. However, the cost of implementation was so high that it was simply postponed for decades. Only decades after World War I, during which triplex was used as glass for gas masks, unbreakable glass was used in the automotive industry. The pioneer was Volvo in 1944.
Scotchgard protective material. In 1953, Patsy Sherman, an employee of the 3M corporation, developed resi new material, which had to successfully withstand interaction with aviation fuel. But suddenly one careless laboratory technician spilled one of the experimental compounds directly on her new tennis shoes. It is quite obvious that Patsy was upset, since she could not clean the shoes with either alcohol or soap. However, this failure only pushed the woman to new research. And now, just a year after the incident, the drug Scotchgard was born, which protects various surfaces from contamination - from fabrics to cars.
Adhesive sheets - memo stickers. This accidental invention is also known as post-it notes. In 1970, Spencer Silver, who worked for the same 3M corporation, tried to develop a super-strong glue. However, his results were discouraging - the resulting mixture was constantly smeared on the surface of the paper, but if they tried to stick it to something, then after some time the leaf fell off, leaving no traces on the surface. 4 years later, another employee of the same company, Arthur Fry, who sang in church choir, figured out how to improve the search for psalms in a book. To do this, he pasted bookmarks there, smeared with a previously developed composition. This helped the stickers stay inside the book for a long time. Since 1980, the history of the release of post-it notes began - one of the most popular office products.
Superglue. This substance is also called Krazy Glue, but in fact its correct name is “cyanoacrylate”. And his invention was also an accident. The author of the discovery was Dr. Harry Coover, who during World War II in 1942 was looking in his laboratory for a way to make plastic for gun sights transparent. The result of the experiments was cyanoacrylate, which in no way solved the required problem. This substance quickly hardened and stuck to everything, spoiling valuable laboratory equipment. Only many years later, in 1958, the scientist realized that his invention could be used for the benefit of humanity. The most useful was the ability of the composition to instantly seal... human wounds! This saved the lives of many soldiers in Vietnam. With wounds sealed with miracle glue, the wounded could already be transported to the hospital. In 1959, an extraordinary demonstration of glue took place in America. There, the program presenter was lifted in the air on two steel plates glued together with just a drop of compound. Later, during demonstrations, both televisions and cars were lifted into the air.
Velcro or Velcro fastener. It all started in 1941, when Swiss inventor Georges de Mestral was walking his dog as usual. Upon returning home, it turned out that both the owner’s coat and all the dog’s fur were covered with burdock. The curious Swiss decided to examine under a microscope how the plant manages to cling so firmly. It turned out that the culprit was the tiny hooks with which the burdock was attached to the fur almost tightly. Guided by the principle he had observed, George created two ribbons with the same small hooks that would cling to each other. And so an alternative clasp appeared! However, mass production of the useful product began only 14 years later. Cosmonauts were among the first to use such Velcro to fasten their spacesuits this way.
Fruit ice cream on a stick (popsicle). The author of this invention was only eleven years old, and his name was young man Frank Epperson. What he discovered will be called by many one of the most significant inventions of the 20th century. Luck smiled on the boy when he dissolved soda powder in water - such a drink was popular among children at that time. For some reason, Frank was unable to drink the liquid right away; he left a stir stick in the glass and left it outside for a while. The weather was frosty at the time and the mixture quickly froze. The boy liked the funny frozen thing on a stick because he could lick it with his tongue and not drink it. Laughing, Frank began to show his discovery to everyone. When the boy grew up, he remembered the invention of his childhood. And now, 18 years later, sales of Epsicles fruit ice cream began, which had as many as 7 flavor options. Today, this type of treat is so popular that more than three million popsicle-type popsicles are sold annually in America alone.
Garbage bag. Humanity received a waste bag only in 1950. One day, Harry Vasilyuk, an engineer and inventor, was approached by the municipality of his city with a request to solve the problem of waste spilling out when loading waste collection machines. For a long time, Vasilyuk designed a device that worked on the principle of a vacuum cleaner. But then suddenly another idea dawned on him. According to legend, one of his acquaintances accidentally exclaimed: “I need a garbage bag!” It was then that Vasilyuk realized that for operations with garbage, one should use only disposable bags, which he proposed to make from polyethylene. At first, such bags began to be used in hospitals in Winnipeg, Canada. The first garbage bags for private individuals appeared only in the 1960s. I must say that Vasilik’s invention turned out to be very useful, because now one of the global challenges Humanity is precisely garbage disposal. And this invention, although it does not contribute direct decision tasks, indirectly still helps.
Supermarket trolley. Sylvan Goldman was the owner of a large grocery store in Oklahoma City. And so he noticed that customers do not always take some goods because they are simply too heavy to carry! Then Goldman invented the first shopping cart in 1936. The businessman himself came up with the idea for his invention by accident - he saw how one of the customers put a heavy bag on a toy car that her son was rolling on a string. The merchant first attached wheels to an ordinary basket, and then, calling on mechanics for help, he created a prototype of a modern cart. Since 1947, mass production of this device began. It was this invention that allowed the birth of such a phenomenon as supermarkets.
Pacemaker. Among random inventions of humanity also include instruments. In this series, a pacemaker stands out, which helps save the lives of millions of people suffering from heart disease. In 1941, engineer John Hopkins was conducting research on hypothermia for the Navy. He was given the task of finding a way to maximize heating of a person who had been in the cold or in cold weather for a long time. ice water. To solve this issue John tried to use high-frequency radio waves that would heat up the body. However, he discovered that if the heart stops due to hypothermia, it can be restarted using stimulation electrical impulses. This discovery led to the introduction of the first pacemaker in 1950. At that time, it was bulky and heavy, and its use sometimes even led to burns in patients. The second accidental discovery in this area belongs to physician Wilson Greatbatch. He was trying to create a device to record heart rhythms. One day he accidentally inserted the wrong resistor into his device and saw electrical network vibrations similar to the rhythm of the human heart. Just two years later, with the help of Greatbatch, the first implantable pacemaker was born, delivering artificial impulses that stimulate cardiac activity.
Potato chips. In 1853, in the town of Saratoga, New York, a regular but particularly capricious customer literally tormented the staff of one cafe. This man was the railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who constantly refused the offered French fries, considering them thick and wet. In the end, cook George Crum got tired of cutting the tubers thinner and thinner, and he decided to take revenge or just play a trick on the annoying visitor. Several wafer-thin potato slices were fried in oil and served to Cornelius. The grumbler's first reaction was quite predictable - now the slices seemed too thin for him to prick with a fork. However, after trying several pieces, the visitor was finally satisfied. As a result, other visitors also wanted to try the new dish. Soon a new dish called “Saratoga Chips” appeared on the menu, and the chips themselves began their victorious march around the world.
LSD. The accidental discovery of d-lysergic acid diethylamide led to a whole cultural revolution. Few people today can dispute this fact, because the hallucinogen discovered by the Swiss scientist Albert Hoffman in 1938, largely contributed to the formation of the hippie movement in the 60s. There was quite a lot of interest in this substance, and it also had a huge impact on the research and treatment of neurological diseases. In fact, Dr. Hoffman discovered LSD as a hallucinogen while participating in pharmaceutical research in Basel, Switzerland. Doctors tried to create a drug that would relieve pain during childbirth. In synthesizing what was later called LSD, Hoffman initially did not detect any interesting properties and hid it in storage. The real properties of LSD were discovered only in April 1943. Hoffman handled the substance without gloves, and some of it entered the body through the skin. As Albert rode home on his bicycle, he was surprised to see "a constant stream of fantastic pictures, unusual shapes with a rich and kaleidoscopic play of color." In 1966, LSD was outlawed in the United States; the ban soon spread to other countries, which greatly complicated the study of the hallucinogen. One of the first researchers was Dr. Richard Alpert, who stated that by 1961 managed to test LSD on 200 subjects, 85% of whom stated that they received the most useful experience in your life.
Microwave oven. And in in this case They invented a completely different device. So, in 1945 American engineer Percy Spencer created magnetrons. These devices were supposed to generate microwave radio signals for the first radars. After all, they played important role in the Second World War. But the fact that microwaves can help cook food was discovered quite by accident. One day, standing near a working magnetron, Spencer saw that a chocolate bar had melted in his pocket. The inventor's mind quickly realized that those same microwaves were to blame. Spencer decided to conduct experiments, trying to influence popcorn and eggs. The latter, expected for us moderns, exploded. The benefits of microwaves were obvious, and over time the first microwave oven was made. At that time, she weighed about 340 kilograms and was the size of a large modern refrigerator.
Chemistry is one of ancient sciences. She studies substances, their compounds, structure, transformations. First information about chemical transformations people got it by doing various crafts. Alchemists made a significant contribution to the development of chemistry. Looking for philosopher's stone, capable of turning any metal into gold, they accomplished a lot scientific discoveries. The history of the development of chemistry is full interesting events and amazing experiments.
Basic rules of conduct in a chemical laboratory
- If you uncork something, reseal it immediately.
- If turned on, turn it off.
- If you opened it, close it.
- If you have liquid in your hands, don’t spill it, if you have powder, don’t scatter it, and if you have gaseous, don’t let it out.
- If you don't know how it works, don't touch it.
More expensive than gold
In 1669, the German alchemist Hennig Brand, in search of the philosopher's stone, decided to try to synthesize gold from human urine. In the course of his experiments with urine, he received white powder, glowing in the dark. Hennig took it to be the "primordial matter" of gold and called it "light-bearer" (pronounced "phosphorus" in Greek). When further experiments with this powder did not lead to the production of the precious metal, the alchemist began to sell the new substance at an even higher price than gold itself.
Great chemist
One day in 1837, a deafening explosion was heard in the basement of a private boarding house in Kazan. The culprit turned out to be 9-year-old student Sasha Butlerov, who was trying to make either gunpowder or “sparklers.” The teacher severely punished the student.
For three days in a row, Sasha walked around with a sign hanging on his chest, on which in large letters it was written: “THE GREAT CHEMIST.” Subsequently, these words became prophetic - the violator of discipline became the great Russian chemist Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov, the creator of the theory chemical structure organic matter, Rector of the Imperial Kazan University.
Who invented unbreakable glass?
In 1903, French chemist Edouard Benedictus accidentally dropped a flask filled with nitrocellulose. The walls of the flask were covered with a network of cracks, but the flask itself did not break. Surprised by this fact, the scientist conducted several experiments - he made “sandwiches” from two glasses and a layer of cellulose nitrate between them. When heated, the cellulose layer melted and glued the glasses together. Such a “sandwich” could be hit with a hammer - it would crack, but retain its shape and not splinter. In 1909, Benedictus received a patent for safety glass, which he called “triplex.”
It is noteworthy that the military was the first to pay attention to the new material - during the First World War, gas mask glasses were made from it. It was only in 1919 that Henry Ford began using triplex in the production of car windshields.
Aqua regia
Aqua regia is a mixture of concentrated acids, very dangerous poisonous substance. It has a yellowish color and a chlorine smell. It includes hydrochloric acid HC1 (one volume) and nitrogen HNO 3 (three volumes). Sometimes it is added to them sulfuric acid(H 2 SO 4). “Royal Vodka” owes its name to its unique property - it dissolves almost all metals, including gold and platinum, but does not dissolve either ceramics or glass.
When during World War II German troops occupied the Danish capital of Copenhagen, the Hungarian chemist Gyorgy de Hevesy dissolved the gold Nobel medals of the German physicists Max von Laus and James Frank in aqua regia, having no other way to hide them from the German occupiers. After the war, Hevesy isolated the gold hidden in aqua regia and gave it to the Swedish royal academy Sciences, which produced new medals and gave them to von Laus and Frank.
Did you know that many discoveries in the field of chemistry were made completely by accident?
How was unbreakable glass invented?
It is known that unbreakable glass was invented by the French chemist Edouard Benedictus in 1903. Benedictus conducted an experiment with nitrocellulose. The glass flask filled with the substance fell to the floor, but did not break, much to the scientist’s surprise. Benedictus understood why the flask did not break. Before this, a collodion solution was stored in the flask. AND thin layer collodion settles on the walls of the flask.This is how unbreakable glass appeared, from which windshields for cars were subsequently made.
Glowing Monk
Semyon Isaakovich Volfkovich
The famous Soviet chemist Academician Semyon Isaakovich Volfkovich conducted experiments with phosphorus. During his work, his clothes became saturated with phosphorus gas, as Wolfkovich did not take the necessary precautions. And when Volfkovich walked through the streets at night, his clothes glowed with a bluish light, and the people thought that he was an otherworldly creature. This is how the legend of the “luminous monk” appeared in Moscow.
Vulcanized rubber
Charles Nelson Goodyear
Natural rubber, brought by Columbus from the West Indies, was not used. It was too hard in the cold. In warm conditions it is too sticky. 300 years later, American inventor Charles Nelson Goodyear conducted experiments in a chemical laboratory, trying to mix rubber with sulfur. But there was no result. They say that Goodyear accidentally dropped rubber and sulfur onto the hot stove. And a miracle happened. Rubber was obtained that did not become soft in the heat and was not brittle in the cold. Subsequently, this process was called vulcanization.
Discovery of chlorine
Karl Wilhelm Scheele
It is interesting that chlorine was discovered by a man who at that moment was just a pharmacist. This man's name was Charles William Scheele. He had amazing intuition. The famous French organic chemist said that Scheele makes a discovery every time he touches something. Scheele's experiment was very simple. He mixed black magnesia and a solution of muric acid in a special retort apparatus. An airless bubble was attached to the neck of the retort and heated. Soon a yellow-green gas with a pungent odor appeared in the bubble. This is how chlorine was discovered.
MnO2 + 4HCl = Cl2 + MnCl2 + 2H2O
For the discovery of chlorine, Scheele was awarded the title of member of the Stockholm Academy of Sciences, although before that he was not a scientist. Scheele was only 32 years old at the time. But chlorine received its name only in 1812. The author of this name was the French chemist Gay-Lussac.
How Balar discovered bromine
Antoine Jerome Balard
French chemist Antoine Jerome Balard discovered bromine while a laboratory assistant. The salt marsh brine contained sodium bromide. During the experiment, Balar exposed the brine to chlorine. As a result of the interaction reaction, the solution became colored yellow. After some time, Balar isolated a dark brown liquid and called it murid. Gay-Lussac later named the new substance bromine. And Balard in 1844 became a member of the Paris Academy of Sciences. Before the discovery of bromine, Balar was almost unknown in scientific circles. After the discovery of bromine, Balard became head of the chemistry department at the French College. As the French chemist Charles Gerard said: “It was not Balard who discovered bromine, but bromine that discovered Balard!”
Discovery of iodine
Bernard Courtois
The chemical element iodine was discovered by the French chemist and pharmacist Bernard Courtois. Moreover, Courtois’s beloved cat can be considered a co-author of this discovery. One day Bernard Courtois was having lunch in the laboratory. There was a cat sitting on his shoulder. Before this, Courtois prepared bottles with chemical solutions. One bottle contained sodium iodide. The other contained concentrated sulfuric acid. Suddenly the cat jumped to the floor. The bottles broke. Their contents are mixed. Blue-violet vapor was formed, which then settled in the form of crystals. This is how the chemical element iodine was obtained.
What accident actually brought Linux into existence?
Linus Torvalds used operating system Minix, however, was dissatisfied with many of its limitations and decided to write his own system. At a certain point, a more or less stable version was released, Torvalds' interest in the project faded, and he was ready to abandon it. But during the same period, he accidentally damaged the partition on the hard drive where Minix was located, and instead of reinstalling it, Torvalds decided to finish what he started. So thanks to chance it appeared Linux kernel and subsequently GNU/Linux OS.
Which car part was invented by accident?
Unbreakable glass was invented by accident. In 1903, French chemist Edouard Benedictus accidentally dropped a flask filled with nitrocellulose. The glass cracked, but did not shatter into small pieces. Having understood what was going on, Benedictus made the first windshields modern type to reduce the number of victims of car accidents.
What mistake helped Louis Pasteur discover modern method vaccinations?
One day, Louis Pasteur, who was conducting experiments on infecting birds with chicken cholera, decided to go on vacation and left his assistant in the laboratory. He forgot to vaccinate the chickens and went on vacation himself. Returning, the assistant infected the chickens, which at first weakened, but then unexpectedly recovered. Thanks to this oversight, Pasteur realized that weakened bacteria are the key to getting rid of the disease, as they provide immunity from it, and became the founder of modern vaccination. Subsequently, he also created vaccinations against anthrax and rabies.
What accident helped discover a treatment for beriberi disease?
At the end of the 19th century, the Dutch physiologist Christian Eijkman was sent to Indonesia to study the disease beriberi, which caused large quantities were dying local residents. One day he noticed that laboratory chickens were showing symptoms of illness. Analyzing the reasons, Aikman found out that the new cook began to purchase not brown, but white rice for the army ration, which was also used to feed chickens. The scientist again began to give them brown brown rice, and soon the chickens were cured. Other biologists continued Eijkman's research and found a medicinal component in unprocessed rice - thiamine, or vitamin B1.
What was invented first - matches or a lighter?
The first lighter, similar to the ones we are used to, was invented in 1823 by the German chemist Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner - 3 years earlier than modern matches ignited by friction against the cherry. They were accidentally obtained in 1826 by the English chemist John Walker.
Who played a key role in popularizing champagne?
Many consider the French monk Pierre Dom Perignon to be the inventor of champagne, but this is far from the truth. He developed many techniques that are still used by champagne producers in the process of making the initial wine, but he considered bubbles in the wine a sign of defect. And the British played a key role in popularizing bubbling wine. They imported wines from the Champagne region and then transferred them from barrels to bottles with cork stoppers (something the French did not know at the time). After the fermentation process resumed, the bottles began to form carbon dioxide, and the wine bubbled in open bottles, which the British really liked.
How was the tea bag invented?
The tea bag was invented by American Thomas Sullivan in 1904 by accident. He decided to send tea to customers in silk bags instead of traditional tin cans. However, the buyers thought that they were offered new way- brew tea directly in these bags, and found this method very convenient.
How did Mendeleev discover the periodic law?
There is a widespread legend that the thought of periodic table chemical elements came to Mendeleev in a dream. One day he was asked if this was true, to which the scientist replied: “I’ve been thinking about it, maybe for twenty years, but you think: I sat there and suddenly... it’s ready.”
Who solved the difficult one math problem, mistaking her for homework?
American mathematician George Dantzig, while a graduate student at the university, was late for class one day and mistook the equations written on the blackboard for homework. It seemed more difficult to him than usual, but after a few days he was able to complete it. It turned out that he solved two “unsolvable” problems in statistics that many scientists had struggled with.
How were chips invented?
The signature recipe of one American restaurant where George Crum worked in 1853 was French fries. One day, a customer returned fried potatoes to the kitchen, complaining that they were “too thick.” Krum, deciding to play a trick on him, cut the potatoes literally paper-thin and fried them. Thus, he invented chips, which became the restaurant's most popular dish.
How were antibiotics discovered?
Antibiotics were discovered by accident. Alexander Fleming left a test tube containing staphylococcus bacteria unattended for several days. A colony of mold fungi grew in it and began to destroy the bacteria, and then Fleming isolated active substance- penicillin.
How was vulcanization discovered?
American Charles Goodyear accidentally discovered a recipe for making rubber that does not soften in the heat and does not become brittle in the cold. He mistakenly heated a mixture of rubber and sulfur on the kitchen stove (according to another version, he left a rubber sample near the stove). This process is called vulcanization.
