Game-Changing Ideas That Came from An Error or Accident

                                        Photo Source: (Lewandowski, 2013)                                   

Overview of Accidental Discoveries:

            Many accidents or errors led to fortuitous scientific discoveries that represented groundbreaking achievements and made a significant difference in the world.  At the same time, for these discoveries to get actualized, the person who discovered the mishap needed to recognize the significance of the discovery and carry through with advancing it into implementing the invention.  An example of two groundbreaking unintentional discoveries includes two-time unexpected discoveries involving Quinine and Viagra (Loria, 2022).  One property in common with these two compounds is that they both lead to a nitric oxide boost to the bloodstream (Pennmedicine.org, 2020; Santamarina et al., 2022).  Quinine, AKA Hydroxychloroquine, a successful antimalarial medication, is currently used as Covid prophylaxis and early treatment (Achan et al., 2011).  Similarly, Viagra, AKA Sildenafil, is now undergoing a clinical trial and reportedly reviving Covid patients from comas due to the effects of nitric oxide on the cardiovascular system (Lee, 2022; Times Now Digital, 2022).   You may locate this blog post here:  https://futandinnov.blogspot.com/2022/01/game-changing-ideas-that-came-from.html.    
 
Game-Changing Idea That Came from an Error or Accident:

Quinine/Hydroxychloroquine:

            According to the original legend, an Andean man who suffered from a malaria-induced fever got lost in the jungle, became thirsty, and drank from a pond surrounded by Quina Quina trees. Afterward, the man found that the bitter-tasting water cured the fever, healed him, and found the way home (Loria, 2022).  Other versions of the story associate the discovery with the Vatican or Jesuit missionaries in South America who practiced treatment of Malaria with Quinine as far back as 1600 (Earls, 2020).  The documented story has some gaps and leaves room for imagination and improvisation.  Malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum, a dangerous mosquito-borne parasite that compromises red blood cells causes lack of oxygenation in the body, and causes blood clots in the brain.  The parasite establishes a home base in the liver and reproduces into the bloodstream.  Fever, anemia, and fatigue take over, and the lack of oxygen causes organ failure and death. 

         
The Forces Supporting the Significance of Quinine/Hydroxychloroquine Discovery:

          The scourge of Malaria has plagued humanity from our beginnings and throughout history.  Scientists have identified the mosquito-borne malarial parasites preserved in Amber from allegedly over 30 million years ago (Earls, 2020).  The problem affects warm moist climates where mosquitoes thrive and have caused problems throughout history, notably in Rome, other parts of Italy, Africa, and Central America.  Although the evidence demonstrates that Quinine-based tree bark remedies have gotten utilized since as early as 1559, the Jesuit priests, including Juan de Lugo and Bernabé de Cobo claim credit for introducing the tree-bark cure in approximately 1640.  Despite the length of time, the Quinine has been in use, the WHO reported 228 million cases in 2018, 405,000 deaths globally, with 67% of deaths occurring in children under five. These represent shocking statistics, given that the quinine cure has existed for centuries.  The significance of the forces supporting the importance of Quinine includes the Spanish Crown's attempts to monopolize the supply of the tree bark during the 18th century. However, it was widely commercialized at this point and undermined by black markets and smuggling rings during the Age of Revolutions from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century.   Even today, as people are using Hydroxychloroquine for Covid, much propaganda and censorship surround its use and vilification of those who suggested its use, including President Trump.  For an example of propaganda, ABC News headline on May 19, 2020, "Trump says he's taking hydroxychloroquine, an unproven drug he's touted for COVID-19" (Cathey et al., 2020).   One can find that Quinine, hydroxychloroquine is not unproven when it has a safety and effectiveness track record that spans hundreds of years.  Where highly touted and even mandated experimental gene-editing Covid MRNA extermination shots have no track record, the FDA claimed it needed 75 years to release records on ingredients, technology, and study data to the public (Roscoe, 2021).  An article highlighting a study shows that hydroxychloroquine boosted ventilated COVID patients' survival by 200%, immediately censored by a dubious fact-checker hit piece published three weeks later (Austin, 2021).  Powerful political forces concerning Quinine, hydroxychloroquine are at play today and throughout history.   

Viagra/Sildenafil:

            Originally, Pfizer introduced Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, as a heart treatment; during the clinical trials, men noticed another impact, and that's how the blue pill Viagra was born.  Currently, clinical trials are underway for Covid patients (Tongji Hospital & Ning, 2020).  The famous story of Monica Almeida, a 37-year old fully 'vaccinated' nurse, was awakened from a 28-day coma and had been near death before being given a life-saving dose of Viagra as part of a Pilot Study of Sildenafil in COVID-19 (Times Now Digital, 2022).   On October 19, 2021, Almeida tested Covid-positive and got admitted to the hospital on November 9.  Over four days, she lost her taste and smell, vomited blood, and oxygen levels plummeted. She was moved to the intensive care unit (ICU), put into an induced coma, and was 72 hours from having her ventilator shut off as of November 16.   Luckily, she had signed up for the experimental treatment when admitted to the hospital.  On December 14, after being given a hefty dose of Viagra, Almeida woke up.  The drug Viagra opens up the blood vessels and expands to increase blood flow via nitric oxide.

The Forces Supporting the Significance of Viagra/Sildenafil Discovery:

          One of the contributing factors to the Dynamics of the Pharmaceutical companies that make Viagra also fund many mainstream media outlets and dictate much of the dialog surrounding treatments such as Viagra. (Bentley, 2017; Hains, 2021) In addition, you have the hospitals signing up patients for the Viagra study upon admittance to the hospital.  So you have two potent sources of information and control owned or financially backed by the medical establishment. You can see that the media and hospitals control much of the dialog surrounding what treatments get endorsed by the medical establishment (Bentley, 2017; Hains, 2021; Times Now Digital, 2022).  These are two powerful forces the media and hospitals influencing the discussion around these products.  
Conclusion:

    Some say that achievements like these don't happen by chance, that achievements happen because you have a vision, commitment, and a dream, or that a scientific process had to have been followed for such scientific discoveries to take place.  Per Albert Von SzentGyorgi, "Discovery is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought" (Challa, 2013).  Another perspective is that most scientists make mistakes and that mistakes are essential to our survival, despite that many people have a negative view of mistakes.  Per the famous inventor Thomas Edison "I have not failed 700 times.  I have not failed once.  I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work" (Chabroux, 2019).  Thomas Edison teaches us never to give up.  After experiencing a failure, one can either give up or persevere. Choosing to carry on and think like a scientist may be a recipe for success or a happy accident.       

References:

Achan, J., Talisuna, A. O., Erhart, A., Yeka, A., Tibenderana, J. K., Baliraine, F. N., Rosenthal, P. J., & D'Alessandro, U. (2011). Quinine, an old antimalarial drug in a modern world: Role in the treatment of Malaria. Malaria Journal, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-10-144
 

Austin, M. (2021, June 10). Trump was right: Study shows hydroxychloroquine boosted ventilated COVID patients' survival by 200%. The Western Journal. Retrieved January 12, 2022, from https://www.westernjournal.com/trump-right-study-shows-hydroxychloroquine-boosted-ventilated-covid-patients-survival-200/
 

Bentley, G. (2017, April 12). Big Pharma owns the corporate media, but Americans are waking up and fighting back. The Ring of Fire Network. Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://trofire.com/2017/04/11/big-pharma-owns-corporate-media-americans-waking-fighting-back/
 

Cathey, L., Gittleson, B., & Phelps, J. (2020, May 19). Trump says he's taking hydroxychloroquine, unproven drug he's touted for COVID-19. ABC News. Retrieved January 12, 2022, from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-taking-hydroxychloroquine-unproven-drug-touted-covid-19/story?id=70751728
 

Chabroux, A. (2019). Accidental scientific discoveries that changed the world. Amazon. GARETH STEVENS PUB. Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://read.amazon.com/?asin=B07MLS631N.
 

Challa, K. K. (2013, August 13). Are these inventions and discoveries really accidental and intuitive, like journalists say? SCI-ART LAB. Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://kkartlab.in/group/some-science/forum/topics/are-these-inventions-and-discoveries-really-accidnetal-and-intuit
 

Dig: A History Podcast. (2020). The Sacred Bark: A History of Quinine. YouTube. Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://youtu.be/U-nYVythLI0.
 

Earls, A. (2020, November 1). Transcript for The Sacred Bark: A History of Quinine. Digpodcast.org. Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://digpodcast.org/2020/11/01/quinine/
 

Lee, B. Y. (2022, January 10). Nurse says Viagra saved her from severe covid-19 coronavirus infection. Forbes. Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/01/08/nurse-says-viagra-saved-her-from-severe-covid-19-coronavirus-infection/?sh=66b9dd15b164

 
Lewandowski, S. (2013). How to Make Happy Accidents Happen More Often. lifehacker.com. photograph, LifeHacker. Retrieved January 12, 2022, from https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--mJq3Grji--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_900,q_80,w_1600/18x42abjy4cy1jpg.jpg.

Loria, K. (2022, January 9). These 18 accidental and unintended scientific discoveries changed the world. Science Alert. Retrieved January 10, 2022, from https://www.sciencealert.com/these-eighteen-accidental-scientific-discoveries-changed-the-world
 

Pennmedicine.org. (2020). Quinine: The Tonic for COVID-19? Pennmedicine.org. Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://www.pennmedicine.org/departments-and-centers/otorhinolaryngology/about-us/newsletters/latest-newsletter/quinine-the-tonic-for-covid19
 

Real Clear Politics. (2021). Montage: Pfizer Sponsors News On ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2022, from https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2021/10/19/montage_pfizer_sponsors_news_abc_cbs_nbc_cnn.html#!
 

Roscoe, M. (2021, December 11). FDA says it needs 75 years to release Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine data to the public. Euro Weekly News Spain. Retrieved January 12, 2022, from https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2021/12/09/fda-says-it-needs-75-years-to-release-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-data-to-the-public/
 

Santamarina, M. G., Beddings, I., Lomakin, F. M., Boisier Riscal, D., Gutiérrez Claveria, M., Vidal Marambio, J., Retamal Báez, N., Pavez Novoa, C., Reyes Allende, C., Ferreira Perey, P., Gutiérrez Torres, M., Villalobos Mazza, C., Vergara Sagredo, C., Ahumada Bermejo, S., Labarca Mellado, E., Barthel Munchmeyer, E., Marchant Ramos, S., Volpacchio, M., & Vega, J. (2022). Sildenafil for treating patients with COVID-19 and perfusion mismatch: A pilot randomized trial. Critical Care, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-021-03885-y
 

Times Now Digital. (2022, January 5). Nurse wakes up from a 28-day covid coma after receiving a large dose of Viagra. Latest News by Times now News. Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://www.timesnownews.com/the-buzz/article/nurse-wakes-up-from-28-day-covid-coma-after-receiving-a-large-dose-of-viagra/846242
 

Tongji Hospital, & Ning, Q. (2020, February 9). A pilot study of Sildenafil in COVID-19 - Full-Text View. ClinicalTrials.gov. Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04304313