Accidental Inventions
We’ve all heard about classic inventors who went out in search of solutions to the world’s problems. We know the polio vaccine was created to eradicate polio around the world and that the atomic bomb was invented to obliviate and intimidates enemies purposefully. However, have you ever heard of an invention just coming to the person? There are quite a few inventions, actually, that have been discovered completely by accident. I am here to explore how this happened and what transpired as a result.
Teabags
Before the invention of the tea bag, loose dry tea leaves were bought in cans and added to metal diffusers. This was a perforated device that allowed the tea to soak, but not get remnants in the cup. This also prevented from steeping the tea too long, creating too strong of a drink. New York native Thomas Sullivan, a tea salesman during the early 1800’s, would send samples of his product in small silken bags. Not knowing that they were just bags, the consumers dipped the entire bag into their hot water. Later on he developed them to be made out of burlap and mesh materials instead of silk. Needless to say, it was a hit and we haven’t looked back since!
Artificial Sweetener
In 1879, Chemist Constantin Fahlberg was sitting down to eat after a long day. After eating for a while, he noticed that everything he tasted had a sweetness to it. He discovered that he was so hungry he had forgotten to wash his hands before eating. It was then that he put two and two together. He had been working all day with coal tar and had uncovered that the saccharin on his hands were the culprit. Who would have been able to predict that having poor sanitation to lead to something so sweet?
Post-It notes
Have you ever tried to make one thing and discovered something not expected? That’s exactly what happened to Spencer Silver in 1968. The scientist was actually on a mission to create a super long adhesive, for some reason or another. Apparently, a lot of the other scientists on the project thought the same, until one day. Art Fry realized that the little bits of paper the adhesive were on were perfect for keeping bookmarks on his church song book without leaving a residue or stripping the paper. Thus, one of the most iconic modern day desk accessories was born!
Potato Chips
George Crum was pissed. It was New York City, 1853 when a patron kept sending back French fries claiming they were too soggy and thick. In a fit of rage and impatience, he decided to comically and spitefully cut the potatoes so thin, threw them to fry and salted them. Unknowingly, he just created one of the most popular snacks to this day. Sometimes being angry CAN pay off I guess. I wonder if the Karen took any credit.