UCI Researchers Accidentally Make Batteries Last 400 Times Longer

Yes, though either way it's good. If you can manage 400x more discharge cycles for little extra cost that could REALLY bring the cost of electric cars down, though the article doesn't say whether this design can in principle manage the power requirements of a car..?

And penicillin is a classic "recognize what you have found" example, scientists prior to Alexander Fleming had noted and wrote up observations of molds killing cultured bacteria, but just treated that as a curiosity. He, at least, was actively looking for anti-bacterial agents after his experiences in WWI battlefield hospitals.

>There is a part of me that loves these stories about serendipitous discoveries.

The discovery of LSD is a fascinating example of this.

Hofmann experienced some sort of altered state of consciousness after first synthesising it. The interesting thing is that it lasted about two hours, which means he could not possibly have accidentally ingested some.

He then reports he has a "peculiar presentiment" that there's something special about it, so decides to deliberately take a dose. The rest is history.