Just look around in your office or at home. What do you see? You’ll see gadgets/ devices that make your life easier in some or the other way. In fact, the world evolves around tech. You'll be shocked knowing that some of these gadgets were invented by mistake.
Inkjet Printer
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Printing important documents seems so simple. However, it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn't an engineer’s mistake. A report by Story Pick stated that an engineer, who worked with Canon, accidentally rested his hot iron on his pen. Later, the engineer got to the ink was ejected from the pen’s point. It further turned into a new principle resulted in the invention of the inkjet printer.
Microwave
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Unbelievable, but this is true! The microwave oven was actually a mistake. Percy Spencer kept experimenting with a new vacuum tube called a magnetron, which was further used for the Raytheon Corporation in 1945. He wanted to find out the reason as to why the candy bar melted in his pocket. While noticing the popcorn pop, he decided to invent something unique. In 1947, Raytheon built the Radarange, the first microwave oven, which weighed 750 pounds. Experts say that Radarange microwave first became available for home use in the early 1950s,
Implantable Pace maker
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Wilson Greatbatch, who worked as an assistant professor in electrical engineering at the University of Buffalo invented the Implantable Pace maker. He intended to build an oscillator to record heart sounds. While conducting several tests, he pulled the wrong resistor out of a box. Surprisingly, it began to give off a rhythmic electrical pulse. It was then he realized his invention could be used as a pacemaker. Reports state that he spent two years refining his device and was awarded a patent for world's first implantable pacemaker. His first pacemaker was implanted in a 77-year-old patient who lived 18 months with the device.
X-Ray Images
Wilhelm Rontgen, German physics professor, stumbled on X-rays while experimenting with Lenard and Crookes tubes and began studying them. Researchers say that Röntgen was investigating cathode rays using a fluorescent screen painted with barium platinocyanide and a Crookes tube. He had wrapped th black cardboard. He suddenly noticed a faint green glow from the screen, about 1 meter away.
Image credit: Universal Medical
Invisible rays were released from the tube that passed through the cardboard to make the screen glow. Interestingly, these rays could pass through books and papers on his desk. He later invented a new paper and made a picture of his wife’s hand on a photographic plate formed due to X-rays. Yes, his wife’s hand was the first photograph of a human body part using X-rays.
Slinky:
Richard James, a naval engineer was basically trying to develop a spring, that coulf support and stabilize sensitive equipment on ships. In this process, springs accidentally fell off a shelf and kept moving. He then decided to convert this into a fun toy! His wife - Betty was the one who named this toy as Slinky, which was launched in 1945. More than 250 million Slinkys have been sold worldwide.
Source: How stuff works
