16 Things You Didn't Know Were Invented By Total Accident
11. Viagra
Viagra started out as a drug to help combat heart disease. However, tests didnt show any benefit in the health of test subjects hearts. Instead, participants were reporting back a rather noticeable side effect. With such a large number of men suffering from erectile dysfunction - if those damn adverts are to be believed, anyway - the researchers saw a gap in the market and subsequently exploited it.
10. Matches
During the 1820s, pharmacist John Walker went about mixing chemicals. When he tried to scrape off the hardened materials on the end of his mixer, it produced a flame. In an age where only a wizard could produce a controlled fire, this flame on the end of a stick proved incredibly useful. Walker immediately began to sell them in his pharmacy and the rest is history.
9. Microwave Ovens
While experimenting with a number of devices to be used in radar defence, Percy Spencer noticed that one piece of equipment had melted his candy bar. He did what most people would in this situation and got some corn to see if it would pop. When it did, he set to work building a machine to harness the technology, eventually allowing people all around the world to cook terrible meals in minutes.
8. Pacemaker
While making a device that would monitor the sound of heartbeats, Wilson Greatbatch put the wrong transistor in. Instead of swapping it out for the correct one, he decided to use it anyway and just see what would happen. The device began to produce a sound incredibly similar to a healthy heartbeat. With a bit of fine tuning, he was able to get it to replicate the signal the heart needs to pump blood... as well as proving that you dont have to read instruction booklets for everything.
7. Post-It Notes
The adhesive on post-it notes was a failed attempt at creating incredibly strong glue that could be used in the aerospace industry. Another scientist, whose bookmarks kept falling out, put some of the very weak glue on the a piece of paper and attached it to his book. It stuck in place perfectly but could also be removed and reused. Of course, it also allowed for hilarious pranks such as when your friends covered your entire car in Post-It notes because they have nothing better to do in life.
6. Super Glue
Dr. Harry Coover discovered super glue during WWII while trying to create a clear plastic to use on gun sights. As the sticky substance had no use in his current project, he promptly forgot about it entirely, because that's just how the good doctor operated. Years later, he was working with a team to create incredibly strong glue and remembered his previous invention and - when testing it saw it - could stick almost any two materials together.
