All these great discoveries happened by accident?
Introduction
The world of radiation and atomic power sprang from an unexpected observation of the element radium. When a footballer curves a free kick around the wall, she is using a physical force that popped into Newton s mind when observing a tennis match one day (though it was later named the Magnus effect). And phosphorous was discovered by an alchemist who thought he was distilling gold out of urine!
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Many great scientific discoveries seem to have been stumbled over rather than carefully planned – but that s what makes top scientists different. The rest of us might brush off the inexplicable and focus on the task in hand. But a scientist s nose for the unusual and restless imagination allow revolutionary ideas to blossom. A mountaineer heading for the top of Mt Everest could try just walking in a straight line – but the attempt would surely fail. The best way to the top actually involves lots of detours and exploration.