Author: Linda Kesselring

Science does not always occur in a linear fashion, but rather is a combination of determination, surprises, luck, and curiosity. Many accidental innovations occur when a researcher is looking for something else entirely. In fact, some of the most influential innovations came from a simple initial observation in nature that may be part accident and part science. Read part one of the series Read part two of the series Nitrous Oxide Joseph Priestly discovered nitrous oxide in 1772 and initially assumed it would be a successful preserving agent. After discovering it would not function as a preservative, he did not pursue any further research there was little study of nitrous oxide until 1798. Even as the Pneumatic Institute in the UK focused on harnessing newly discovered gases and utilizing them for therapeutic benefit, nitrous oxide went generally unnoticed. Although it certainly did not go unnoticed recreationally. Nitrous oxide, also referred to as laughing gas, induces feeling of euphoria and mild hallucinations. The superintendent of the Pneumatic Institute was a frequently used the gas recreationally and it quickly became in upper class British society. Even the poet Samuel Coleridge fondly recorded his experience at the laughing gas parties, “The first time

Science does not always occur in a linear fashion, but rather is a combination of determination, surprises, luck, and curiosity. Many accidental innovations occur when a researcher is looking for something else entirely. In fact, some of the most influential innovations came from a simple initial observation in nature that may be part accident and part science. Read part one of the series Quinine The true origins of Quinine, an antimalarial drug that is especially effective during the first trimester of pregnancy, is historically unclear with multiple accounts telling different tales of this medication’s first application. Jesuit Missionaries in South America, who christened Quinine “Jesuit’s bark,” “Cardinal’s Bark,” and “Sacred bark,” claimed that the medicine, found in the bark of the cinchona (quina-quina) tree, was used to treat malaria and its symptomatic fevers as early as the 1600s. The Jesuits asserted that Quinine’s medical application was originally discovered when a South American Indian with a raging fever who got lost in the Andean Jungle. The Indian drank from a pool of stagnant water, which had been tainted by the surrounding quina-quina trees. As the story goes, to his surprise the Indian later found that his fever had subsided and he

From the sex lives of screwworms to invincible milk maids, some of the world’s most ground breaking discoveries were born out of peculiar studies and happy accidents. Scientific innovation might better be associate with the word “oops” than “eureka.” Serendipitous and Accidental discoveries are responsible for some of the most influential scientific discoveries in the past century like the small pox vaccination and anticoagulants, many of which are medicinal innovations that have saved and or improved billions of lives. In 1975 Senator William Proxmire created the “Golden Fleece Awards,” which targeted federally funded programs that Promxmire considered to be a waste of money. Many of these programs were what in lay terms might be called “weird science.” The attitude that peculiar scientific research is a wasteful investment is unfortunately a popular one, which leads to condemnation or marginalization of research that could lead to innovative breakthroughs. In response to this attitude, new awards and grants have emerged to counteract the attack on odd science. Awards like the “Golden Mole Awards” and the “Golden Goose Awards” recognize science and scientists who have made major socially relevant discoveries through curiosity driven research or accidental happenstance. These awards intend to highlight that scientific

Age-Related Macular Degeneration or AMD is the deterioration of the central portion of the retina, called macula and is the primary cause of loss of vision in individuals over 60 in the United States. Estimates predict that from 2010 to 2050 the number of people with AMD in the United States will double, primarily due to the longer life span of the average individual[i]. In spite of advances in eye care AMD remains a major problem and currently cannot be treated thorough the use of corrective lenses, pharmacotherapy, or surgery. Furthermore, there is no cure for end stage AMD resulting in many individuals losing their sight. The Emory Eye Center continues the treatments of AMD forward, implementing some of the latest cutting edge technologies including an implantable miniature telescope that can be placed into an affected eye through the cornea and inserted behind the iris. The telescope helps reflect images onto the remaining part of the macula. The individuals other eye is not altered and helps the patient maintain their peripheral vision. After the surgery the two eyes relearn to function together and improve the patient’s overall eyesight. However, despite this breakthrough AMD treatment, those who are actually candidates for

The Emory Eye Center was catapulted into the global spotlight in late 2014, when they discovered the Ebola virus in the eye of Ian Crozier, MD a patient who had recently recovered from an Ebola infection. After treating Crozier for an extreme case of uveitis, which was correlated to his Ebola infection, the Emory Eye Center’s team lead by Steven Yeh, MD helped found the project, Quiet Eye West Africa (QEWA). Quiet Eye West Africa or QEWA is a team of optometry experts partnering with Crozier and local West African colleagues who serve the optometry needs of Ebola survivors. The program was dubbed “Quiet Eye West Africa” because it expresses the program’s goals. The phrase “quiet eye” refers to a non inflamed and healthy eye. Emory Eye Center’s program seeks to help all Ebola survivors obtain and maintain “quiet (and healthy) eyes.” In April of 2014 the QEWA team flew to West Africa to work with John Fankhauser, a physician working in Monrovia, Liberia treating Ebola patients and survivors. Fankhauser observed that many of his survivor patients were experiencing ocular symptoms and hoped that the QEWA team could help diagnose and treat his patients’ ailments. While in Liberia the QEWA