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Serendipity : accidental discoveries in science / Royston M. Roberts..

By: Roberts, Royston M.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookSeries: Wiley science editions.Publisher: New York : Wiley, c1989Description: xvii, 270 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. + pbk.ISBN: 0471506583; 0471602035.Subject(s): Serendipity in scienceDDC classification: 509
Contents:
Archimedes-the first streaker -- Colombus discovers a new world -- A sick Indian discovers Quinine -- Sir Isaac Newton, the apple and the law of gravitation -- The electric battery and electromagnetism-from a frog's leg and a compass -- Vaccination-Edward Jenner, a milkmaid, and smallpox -- Discoveries of chemical elements -- Nitrous oxide and ether as anesthetics -- Wohler's synthesis of Urea-organic chemistry begins to make sense -- Daguerre and the invention of photography -- Rubber-natural and unnatural -- Pasteur-"left handed" and "right handed" molecules make a difference -- Synthetic dyes and pigments -- Kekule:molecular architecture from dreams -- Nobel:the man ,the discoveries and the prizes -- Celluloid and rayon-artificial ivory and silk -- Friedel and crafts-a laboratory accident spawns new industrial chemistry -- How to succeed in archaelogy without really trying -- Some astronomical serendipities -- Accidental medical discoveries -- X-rays, radioactivity and nuclear fission -- Substitute sugar:how sweet is it -and non fattening -- Safety glass -- Antibiotics:penicillin, sulfa drugs and magainins -- Nylon:cold drawing does the trick -- Polyethylene:thanks to leaky and dirty equipment -- Teflon:out of the atom bomb and into the frying pan -- Gasoline technology:flowery theories and gas to gasoline -- Drugs accidently found good in something else -- Drugs from sewage and dirt -- Brown and Wittig:boron and phosphorus in organic synthesis -- Polycarbonates:tough stuff -- Velcro and other giftsof serendipity to modern living -- DNA:the coil of life -- Conceptions, misconceptions, and accidents in organic synthesis -- Chemical crowns and crypts.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Many of the things discovered by accident are important in our everyday lives: Teflon, Velcro, nylon, x-rays, penicillin, safety glass, sugar substitutes, and polyethylene and other plastics. And we owe a debt to accident for some of our deepest scientific knowledge, including Newton's theory of gravitation, the Big Bang theory of Creation, and the discovery of DNA. Even the Rosetta Stone, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the ruins of Pompeii came to light through chance. This book tells the fascinating stories of these and other discoveries and reveals how the inquisitive human mind turns accident into discovery. Written for the layman, yet scientifically accurate, this illuminating collection of anecdotes portrays invention and discovery as quintessentially human acts, due in part to curiosity, perserverance, and luck.

Bibliography: p. 248-262. - Includes indexes.

Archimedes-the first streaker -- Colombus discovers a new world -- A sick Indian discovers Quinine -- Sir Isaac Newton, the apple and the law of gravitation -- The electric battery and electromagnetism-from a frog's leg and a compass -- Vaccination-Edward Jenner, a milkmaid, and smallpox -- Discoveries of chemical elements -- Nitrous oxide and ether as anesthetics -- Wohler's synthesis of Urea-organic chemistry begins to make sense -- Daguerre and the invention of photography -- Rubber-natural and unnatural -- Pasteur-"left handed" and "right handed" molecules make a difference -- Synthetic dyes and pigments -- Kekule:molecular architecture from dreams -- Nobel:the man ,the discoveries and the prizes -- Celluloid and rayon-artificial ivory and silk -- Friedel and crafts-a laboratory accident spawns new industrial chemistry -- How to succeed in archaelogy without really trying -- Some astronomical serendipities -- Accidental medical discoveries -- X-rays, radioactivity and nuclear fission -- Substitute sugar:how sweet is it -and non fattening -- Safety glass -- Antibiotics:penicillin, sulfa drugs and magainins -- Nylon:cold drawing does the trick -- Polyethylene:thanks to leaky and dirty equipment -- Teflon:out of the atom bomb and into the frying pan -- Gasoline technology:flowery theories and gas to gasoline -- Drugs accidently found good in something else -- Drugs from sewage and dirt -- Brown and Wittig:boron and phosphorus in organic synthesis -- Polycarbonates:tough stuff -- Velcro and other giftsof serendipity to modern living -- DNA:the coil of life -- Conceptions, misconceptions, and accidents in organic synthesis -- Chemical crowns and crypts.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Partial table of contents
  • Archimedes--The First Streaker
  • A Sick Indian Discovers Quinine
  • The Electric Battery and Electromagnetism--From a Frog's Leg and Compass
  • Discoveries of the Elements
  • Daguerre and the Invention of Photography
  • Nobel--the Man, the Discoveries, and the Prizes
  • Friedel and Crafts--A Laboratory Accident Spawns New Industrial Chemistry
  • Some Astronomical Serendipities
  • Accidental Medical Discoveries
  • Substitute Sugar: How Sweet It Is--And Non-Fattening
  • Nylon: Cold-Drawing Does the Trick
  • Velcro and Other Gifts from Serendipity for Modern Living
  • Conceptions, Misconceptions, and Accidents in Organic Synthesis
  • Epilogue: How Accidents Become Discoveries
  • Appendix
  • Index

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This book is a collection of anecdotal ``re caps'' of the accidental discoveries that led to revolutionary scientific develop ment, including Edward Jenner's creation of the smallpox vaccine and Newton's gravity theory. Roberts tells us that Jen ner made the fortuitous connection be tween cowpox and smallpox by investi gating the claim of a milkmaid who avoided smallpox illness in the barnyard. Likewise, a shrewd Newton developed gravitational theory while observing the fall of the fa mous apple. It's clear that Roberts (chemis try, Univ. of Texas) feels most engaged and comfortable in the fields of chemistry and biology, for these sections are the largest and the most informative and concisely written. Elsewhere, the book suffers from a choppy and dry presentation. Recom mended for larger subject collections only.--Lauren Bielski, New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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