Accidental Genius: 7 Mistakes That Led To Groundbreaking Discoveries

Percy Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon, was experimenting with a radar-related vacuum tube while a candy bar was melting in his pocket. 

He went on to discover the microwave effect, the a candy bar in his pocket melted while he was experimenting. This discovery led to the creation of the first microwave oven in the 1940s.

3M scientist Spencer Silver in the 1930s was attempting to create a powerful adhesive, but he failed to make that he ended up with a weak, reusable glue. This led to the creation of the Post-it Notes that are life-savers for every rigid plan-loving individual.

German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in the 1890s was trying to create lightbulbs, but during the experiment he noticed passing invisible rays that could penetrate solid matter. This led to the game-changing invention in the medical field. 

Alexander Fleming had not cleaned his Petri dishes before he went out of his lab. When he returned a couple of weeks later, during the cleaning process, he noticed that some petri dishes had mold on them, but the bacteria in them had been killed. 

Following his deep study into the matter, he discovered the medical marvel 'penicillin'.

George de Mestral invented Velcro on a walk with his dog! 

Harry Coover, a chemist for Eastman Kodak, instead of inventing a suitable plastic for gun sights, accidentally created cyanoacrylate, or better known as superglue.

Chef George Crum, in the 1850s, sliced potatoes thin and fried them until crisp, following with a seasoning after a customer's complaint about "thick fries". 

His complaint solution led to the invention of potato chips.

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