The explosive history of serendipity

It's the eureka moments that make science worthwhile, and such moments are all the sweeter when they're unexpected. What the Dutch call geluk bij een ongeluk ("happiness by accident") and English speakers call serendipity – although when an irritating colleague receives serendipity's blessing, we're more likely to call him or her a jammy bastard. Happy accidents have a secure place in scientific history. Perhaps the best known example is of Alexander Fleming, who was working at St Mary's Hospital in 1928 when he noticed that a culture of Staphylococcus aureus had become contaminated with mould – and the mould was destroying the bacteria. This chance observation led, ultimately, to the development of penicillin and other antibiotics. Similarly, x-rays, radiation and pulsars – and in a less exotic vein, Velcro, Vaseline and Teflon – all owe their discovery or existence to serendipity.