7 amazing inventions discovered by mistake

Eureka!

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Surprising Science
  • Some of these things have been around for nearly 200 years.
  • All were "discovered" by accident.
  • The term "Eureka!" actually became the state motto of California during the gold rush.
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Millions of Americans are sleep deprived — and it's literally killing us

It's a public health crisis, experts say.

Photo credit: Ken Harding / BIPs / Getty Images
Mind & Brain
  • 17 percent of all fatal car accidents are caused by sleep deprivation.
  • Seven to 8 hours is recommended for adult humans, more for adolescents.
  • About 1/3 of all adults are not getting at least seven hours of sleep each night.
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6 great inventions from the Civil War

The massive number of casualties and injuries created during these battles necessitated some quick, creative ideas... some of which we still have today.

(Photo by Henry Guttmann Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Surprising Science
  • The war resulted in more than 600,000 deaths.
  • About 500,000 were wounded.
  • The war created a massive need for inventions of various kinds and led to rapid advancement in medicine
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Cannabis may boost perceptual reasoning in teenage brains, researchers say

It increases their brains' gray matter volume.

Photo credit: MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP / Getty Images
Mind & Brain
  • Occasional use, defined as once or twice, can actually increase grey matter volume.
  • Unfortunately, anxiety is also increased.
  • 35 percent of 10th graders have experimented with cannabis.
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