In the mid-19th century, chemical assistant Henry Perkin was looking for an synthetic substitute for an antimalarial drug. But instead of quinine, he produces the first synthetic dye: mauveine. An accidental product! Authors: ZDF/Terra X/T. Schrader/J. Koester/F. Steinhardt/Moods in Pictures/Maximi
In this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, learn how scientists are hoping to better understand the biology of dinosaurs by studying the insides of fossil bones. Hear about the accidental discovery of dinosaur soft tissue by paleontologist Dr. Mary Schweitzer, and how this tissue enables sc
In the late 1960s, scientists accidentally discovered gamma-ray bursts — intense flashes of energy that typically last no more than a few minutes and are often as short as a fraction of a second. For decades after the discovery of these powerful bursts, they remained one of the greatest mysteries in
Go to https://squarespace.com/amateurchemistry and use the code AMATEURCHEMISTRY to save 10% on your first website or domain purchase. In this video, I use deadly fork-derived chromium trioxide to convert vodka (ethanol) into vinegar (acetic acid) through the Jones oxidation reaction while accident
The Deutschlandticket was the flagship transport policy of the last government, rolled out in an impressive timescale for a political project; but this speed came with a cost - a system ripe for fraud at an industrial scale. German public transport is famously decentralised, with thousands of indiv
What do you feel when you think about your childhood? Do you think of it as a happy place you’d give anything to get back to, or would you rather pretend it never happened? Unfortunately, sometimes parents are not the ones who know best, and the choices they make while raising their children can lea
