6 episodes
Serendipity of Science: Saving Lives - for iPod/iPhone The Open University
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- Education
Can you think like a scientist? Can you turn a bad result into a good hypothesis? Scientific thinking changes the way you look at the world. Science generally involves long hours of painstaking lab work as researchers refine their carefully designed experiments in response to their results. However, occasionally, it all goes wrong and the outcome isn’t quite what was expected. That’s when thinking like a scientist can help turn a bit of bad luck into a new discovery. From the Big Bang, penicillin and radioactivity to Teflon, Velcro and Viagra the history of science is littered with these 'accidental' inventions. This series focuses on three examples which have helped save lives - penicillin, safety glass and pacemakers. Find out how wondering why an experiment went wrong led to something far more interesting.
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Alexander Fleming and Accidental Mould Juice
When Alexander Fleming came back from holiday he noticed that mould contamination on an experimental plate had killed a pathogen. Fleming wondered 'Why?' Careful observation, rigorous scientific thinking and painstaking experimental work led to the discovery of pencillin.
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Transcript -- Alexander Fleming and Accidental Mould Juice
When Alexander Fleming came back from holiday he noticed that mould contamination on an experimental plate had killed a pathogen. Fleming wondered 'Why?' Careful observation, rigorous scientific thinking and painstaking experimental work led to the discovery of pencillin.
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Edouard Benedictus and Accidental Safety Glass
When a glass flask was knocked to the floor in Eduard Benedictus' laboratory he was surprised to discover that the glass had shattered but somehow the flask stayed together. It was all the result of his assistant failing to clean away the remains of the previous experiment. Reading about a rash of car accidents gave him the inspiration to turn this accident into a useful discovery – safety glass.
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Transcript -- Edouard Benedictus and Accidental Safety Glass
When a glass flask was knocked to the floor in Eduard Benedictus' laboratory he was surprised to discover that the glass had shattered but somehow the flask stayed together. It was all the result of his assistant failing to clean away the remains of the previous experiment. Reading about a rash of car accidents gave him the inspiration to turn this accident into a useful discovery – safety glass.
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- video
Wilson Greatbatch and the Accidental Heart Stimulator
In the 1950s, medical researcher Wilson Greatbach was building an oscillator to record heart sounds when he pulle dthe wrong resistor out of a box. When he assembled his device, it began to giv off a rhythmic electrical pulse. It was then realised his invention could be used as a pacemaker.
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Transcript -- Wilson Greatbatch and the Accidental Heart Stimulator
In the 1950s, medical researcher Wilson Greatbach was building an oscillator to record heart sounds when he pulle dthe wrong resistor out of a box. When he assembled his device, it began to giv off a rhythmic electrical pulse. It was then realised his invention could be used as a pacemaker.
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