Accidental inventions

[stratego]

Do you think that "accidental inventions" should be given the same acclaim that "intented inventions" deserve? Let's pretend I was trying to create a stink bomb as a prank using things around the lab and I accidentally created the cure for lung cancer. Should I get the same credit as if I was researching for the cure for many years?

 

[stormbind]

Can you give examples of the accidental inventions?

 

[Serutan]

One example : X-rays. And, Stratego, that accidental discovery
got Roentgen a Nobel prize.

 

[Mescalhead]

Silly Putty


One of the most influential accidental inventions in recent history: LSD-25!

 

[hsiehtm]

Accidental inventions aren't entirely accidental. The circumstances leading to their inspiration may be accidental, but the actual invention is not.

Take penicillin for example, while the discovery of the mold growing inside a Petri dish is accidental, the recognition that the mold was secreting a substance that kills bacteria and the idea to mass produce this substance in order to treat human beings is not.

With X-rays, even after the discovery of X-rays, work still had to be done in order to figure out that x-rays can be used to medical examination and work had to be done to build an x-ray machine that can take x-ray photos of people.

For Silly Putty, the invention of Silly Putty was accidental, but the idea to put it into plastic eggs and sell it as a toy to children is not.

A lot of work goes into an invention even after it's accidental discovery. The discovery has to be recognized, it has to be applied for some use, and it has to be mass produced for the public. The accident is only part of the process that goes into an invention.

 

[SoCalian]

I accidentaly invented the wheel whilst trying to create stink bombs out ouf stuff from around the lab.

 

[LesCanadiens]

"Attempted murder, I mean what is that? Do they give a Nobel Prize for attempted chemistry?" - Sideshow Bob.

 

[Caranamrta]

I think that until recent times, most of the inventions were accidental.
And we used to give all the credit to the accidental inventors, just as to the unaccidental.

 

[FearlessLeader2]

Electronically transmitted sound was discovered accidentally. Does that mean someone should take away the Bell family fortune? Should we all stop using telephones, stereos, and anything else with a speaker?

 

[Knowze Gungk]

Phosphorus was accidentally discovered by some bloke trying to extract gold from urine.

 

[sourboy]

Rubber was invented accidently by Charles Goodyear, who didn't get the original credit for it since a colleague or something patented his idea, IIRC.

 

[boobah]

monkeys were invented accidently

 

[Bozo Erectus]

If theyre smart enough to realise the significance of the odd thing they accidentally produced, then persue it further and succeed in bringing something new into the world that benefits mankind in some way, they deserve a Nobel Prize.

 

[Cilpot]

Chewing gum was also accidential

.. And the glue used on post-it notes.

 

[funxus]

I think the Nobel prize quite often is given to "accidental inventions". Although it's not as common today, quite often a research team is researching one thing, when they all of a sudden discovers something else, and IIRC this is valued highly for some of the Nobel Prizes.

 

[Knowze Gungk]

Microwaves were discovered by an Australian mob, who thought it was just bird crap in their satellite dish.

 

[The Yankee]

Wasn't Velcro a discovery of some sticky plant? Or am I crazy out of my mind?

 

[Achinz]

It's only sensible to lump discovery with invention.

Accident is serendipitous discovery or invention only if the person involved has the presence of mind to notice the significance of the accidental phenomenon. Besides those mentioned above there's the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming.

 

[Gothmog]

In working as a scientist it takes more 'genius' to recognize the significance of an accidental discovery than it does to follow your standard protocal. Typically the recognition requires an interdisciplinary thought or making a leap of faith. Sort of thinking 'outside the box'. Realizing that the rate constant you just determined may mean that CFC's destroy ozone in the stratosphere for example.

A non accidental discovery is usually one that could have been done by any number of scientists as you were simply following the next logical step in a chain of discovery.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

I'm pretty sure the wheel was an accidental invention. But I can't disprove it was a result of government-subsidized research project.