Generally, people think that inventions are only done in big laboratories with lot of chemical or physical complications. Such kinds of complications are generally out of the understanding capability of normal people. But, not many people know that many objects, which we use daily, have not been invented in these big laboratories, or even by thinking about them previously, instead, they were all accidents, which led to the evolution of these products. This article discusses the top 10 everyday objects you didn’t know were invented by accident.
1. Play-Doh
The popular toy, Play-Doh which every child enjoys playing, was not intended for its use as a toy, rather, it was built for some other use. A client, Roger, asked a Cincinnati based company to deliver wallpaper cleaner in the name of Play-Doh. But, no one in the company actually knew how to create wallpaper cleaner. Later on, when its sales dropped, parents let their children play with Play-Doh. After that, detergent free Pay-Doh was created and almond scent was put in. Therefore, it was used as a toy since then. Various colors of Play-Doh are available.
2. Chocolate Chip Cookies
Well, it’s interesting to know that you favorite food, chocolate chip cookies were invented by accident. Initially known by the name of Toll House Crunch Cookies, chocolate chip cookies were invented by a woman Ruth Wakefield, when she substituted Nestlé’s semi-sweet chocolate instead of baker’s chocolate as she did not have any. Later on, when she served these to her guests, they liked it and when Andrew Nestle came to know about it, he offered the family a lifetime supply of chocolates. Then, chocolate chip cookies were made public.
3. Super Glue
Super Glue is perhaps the most important household item. Be it child or adult, everyone needs it at some point of time. Previously, this glue was used to heal wounds of the affected people in the Vietnam War. When Dr Harry Coover was working with cyanoacrylates, he was trying to make some sort of clear plastic. But, cyanoacrylates were very sticky, so he dropped the plan. Later on, adhesive properties of the substance were realized and it was then that he realized that this substance could be used to stick objects. This substance came to be known as the super glue afterwards.
4. Corn Flakes
Corn Flakes are an accidental invention of two brothers – John Harvey Kellogg and Will Keith Kellogg. They both worked as cooks at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. It was in trial for discovering a food that improves patients’ diet that they discovered corn flakes. A boiled wheat pot was left unattended in night and next day, it was hardened. They served it to their patients, who liked it. This way, Kellogg Company was founded.
5. Tea Bags
Tea bags were invented by Thomas Sullivan. He thought of sending silk tea bags to his clients instead of tea balls. He put dried tea leaves into silk bags and he thought that customers would open the bags and prepare tea, but customers dipped the bags directly. Customer’s complained that gauze bags would be better than silk ones. Later on, even the gauge was replaced by filter paper and the tea bags, as we see them today, are invented like that.
6. Saccharin
If Constantine Fahlberg had not committed this mistake, we might have never tasted artificial sugar. Once, he forgot to wash hands before taking his meal, when he came out of laboratory. Bread tasted very sweet to him, he thought at once that bread was not normal one, but sweetened one. Then, when he washed his mouth and dried it with a napkin, napkin also tasted sweet. Then, he tasted his own thumb; this was how saccharin was invented.
7. Potato Chips
Potato chips were French fries actually, which on the complaint of a customer were baked too thin. George Crum, inventor of potato chips, was a chef. A customer complained that the fries he was cooking were too thick. He delivered thinner French fries to him. But the customer complained again. This time, George decided to irritate him, so he baked paper thin fries. The client loved it and this way, potato chips got popular.
8. Post-it Notes
Spencer Silver was trying to produce an adhesive with strong sticking properties, but the thing he invented was not effective enough. So silver dropped it as the adhesive did not have any good properties. Another innovator, Art Fry suggested a good use of this weaker adhesive. He was a singer and his notes generally used to fell out of his notebook. So, he used the adhesive for sticking his notes on his songbook. This way, post-it note were invented.
9. Matches
When K=John Walker was working with chemicals, he saw that his rod was very dirty. He was cleaning it but it did not work. He dragged the stick rubbing the floor in irritation. Fire was produced out of it. Samuel Jones, later on, suggested him to put the sticks in a cardboard box. Previously known as Lucifer, this is the story of matches.
10. Viagra
Sildenafil is a substance actually responsible for invention of Viagra. When scientists were working with it, they discovered its ability to lower the blood pressure. Humans were given samples of this substance, later on; they did not give back the medication because the erection they got out of this substance was too strong. Scientists then discovered that Viagra could be used for treating impotence in men.
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