Accidental discoveries and inventions have often turned out to be some of the most important to human history. While it might seem intuitive to think that all archaeological finds were discovered by archaeologists or that all scientific discoveries were purposely made by scientists, that just isn’t always the case. Sometimes, discoveries are made by ordinary folks doing the same things they do every day. Other times, what have turned out to be some of the world’s most important drugs, most useful substances, most fascinating historical finds, and even best-selling toys have been the products of accidents or pure dumb luck.

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