Random discoveries humanity

History shows that some scientific discoveries, including those who have turned the world have been made by accident.
Suffice it to recall Archimedes, which was lowered into the bath, he opened a law named after him later on submerged bodies and their buoyancy force, or Newton, who dropped the famous apple. Finally, Mendeleyev, who saw his table of elements in a dream.
Maybe something here is an exaggeration, but there are very specific examples showing that in science a lot depends on the case. Wired Magazine has collected some of them:

1. Viagra
It is known that Viagra was originally developed as a treatment for angina. Men all over the world should be grateful to the people of Wales Merthyr Taydfil. It was here in 1992, during the tests showed a remarkable side effect of the drug.

2. LSD
Swiss scientist Albert Hofmann in 1943, became the first person to try to "acid". He saw himself on the effect of lysergic acid diethylamide, when conducted medical research this matter and its effect on the birth process.

3. X-ray
In the XIX century many scientists were interested in the rays appearing in the electron strikes a metal target. However, X-rays revealed the German scientist Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895. He was subjected to different objects exposed to this radiation, changing them accidentally saw on the wall there was a projection of the bones of his own hands.

4. Penicillin
Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming was researching the 1928 flu. One day he noticed that a blue-green mold (natural penicillin isolated fungi) multiply in a petri dish, there are all killed staphylococci.

5. Artificial sweeteners
Three of the most common sweetener was discovered only because scientists forgot to wash your hands. Cyclamate (1937) and aspartame (1965) were the byproduct of medical research, and saccharin (1879) was accidentally discovered in studies of coal tar derivatives.

6. Microwaves
Microwave emitters (magnetrons) allies worked on radar during the Second World War. New applications were discovered in 1946, when the magnetron chocolate bar melted in his pocket Percy Spencer, one of the engineers of the American company Raytheon.

7. Brandy
In the Middle Ages, wine merchants often evaporated water is transported from the beverage so that it does not spoil, and take up less space. Soon, someone smart decided to dispense with the recovery phase. Thus was born the brandy.

8. Vulcanized rubber
Uncured rubber is very fragile to external influences and bad smells. Charles Gudyer, after whom the company was named Goodyear, discovered the process of vulcanization, when he accidentally put a mixture of rubber and sulfur on a hot stove.

9. Potato chips
Chef George Crum invented the popular snack in 1853. When one of his customers complained that his potatoes are sliced ​​too thick slices, he took the potatoes, cut thick slices of it almost from paper and fried. Thus there were chips.

10. Buns with raisins
Here it is worth mentioning the legend described connoisseur of Moscow journalist and writer Vladimir Gilyarovskogo that muffin with raisins invented the famous baker Ivan Filippov. The Governor-General Arseny Zakrevskii, bought once fresh Sikes, suddenly found a cockroach in it. Called on the carpet Filippov, grabbed and ate insects, claiming that the general was wrong - it was a highlight. Back at the bakery, Filippov ordered to urgently start the oven scones with raisins, to justify himself before the governor.