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When “Bad” leads to “Great”! And delicious crisps ;-)
We’re often told that being wrong is bad. At school, mistakes get red crosses. At work, they can earn side-eye from a manager. And in life? We spend plenty of energy avoiding them altogether. But history suggests something far more interesting: many of humanity’s greatest discoveries came from people who — quite literally — got it wrong. Let’s take a quick tour through some of the most famous mistakes in history — moments where accidents, errors, and happy coincidences changed the world.
1. Alexander Fleming and the mouldy petri dish
Fleming left his lab in a mess (as one does), went on holiday, and came back to find mould growing on his bacteria cultures. Instead of binning it, he got curious — and penicillin was born. The rest is antibiotic history.
2. The accidental crisp
In 1853, an annoyed chef named George Crum sliced potatoes paper-thin out of spite after a customer complained his chips were too thick. The customer loved them. And just like that, the potato crisp was born — all because someone refused to take offence and instead doubled down with flair.
3. Post-it Notes
3M scientist Spencer Silver was trying to invent a super-strong glue. He got the opposite: one that barely stuck. Years later, another scientist saw potential — and Post-it Notes took over offices everywhere. A weak glue became a sticky revolution.
4. The microwave oven
Engineer Percy Spencer noticed a chocolate bar melting in his pocket while working near radar equipment. Most of us would just clean up the mess — he invented the microwave.
5. X-rays
Wilhelm Röntgen was experimenting with cathode rays when he accidentally discovered a mysterious form of radiation that passed through solid objects. His “error” won him the first Nobel Prize in Physics.
6. Cornflakes
John and Will Kellogg accidentally left boiled wheat sitting out too long. When they rolled it, it flaked — and breakfast was never the same again.
7. Velcro
After a walk in the woods, George de Mestral noticed burrs sticking to his clothes and his dog’s fur. Rather than get irritated, he studied them under a microscope — and invented Velcro.
8. Slinky
An engineer accidentally dropped a tension spring off a shelf and watched it “walk” down instead of collapsing. A toy was born — and generations of children (and bored adults) were entertained.
9. Safety glass
A French chemist dropped a glass flask coated in cellulose nitrate — but it didn’t shatter. He looked closer instead of sweeping it up, and safety glass was invented.
10. Chocolate chip cookies
Ruth Wakefield ran out of baker’s chocolate and threw in chunks of regular chocolate, assuming they’d melt. They didn’t — and the world got cookies.
The Common Thread: Curiosity Over Offence
Each of these “mistakes” could have ended in frustration, embarrassment, or resignation. But what turned them into breakthroughs was curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to look at the unexpected without offence.
If Fleming had been irritated with the fungal growth and not been curious about it, if George Crum was just offended by the rude customer and did not channel his anger, or if Percy Spencer had just bought a new chocolate bar, we’d have no antibiotics, no crisps, and no microwaves.
This kind of thinking — seeing possibilities in problems — is something many neurodivergent minds do naturally. People with ADHD, dyslexia, autism, or other neurotypes often spot patterns others miss, connect ideas in unconventional ways, and question the “rules”. That’s not clumsiness or chaos — it’s creative innovation in action.
The neurodiversity paradigm reminds us that different ways of thinking aren’t deficits. They’re diversity. And diversity drives discovery. Many breakthroughs, both accidental and intentional, have come from people who didn’t think “the normal way”.
So, Next Time You “Get It Wrong”…
Pause before you panic. Ask: What might this be showing me?
Mistakes and misunderstandings can take us somewhere valuable — if we meet them with curiosity, not criticism or shame. Curiosity helps build resilience because it reframes the story: instead of “I failed,” it becomes “I discovered something new.” Letting go of shame builds confidence!
After all, if history teaches us anything, it’s that sometimes the best ideas begin as “oops”.
