Oops I Changed the World
Season 1
Oops I Changed The World tells the fascinating stories of accidental and surprise inventions that have transformed our lives.
15 Episodes
- Conditioned
E1ConditionedPavlov’s investigations into dog digestion lead to phone addiction. A failed quest to find a safer refrigerant creates Teflon. A damaged delivery crate is instrumental in the invention of dynamite. And a chance encounter with a composer leads Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr to invent the basis for wifi. - Blue Genes
E2Blue GenesThe failed experiment and the world’s greatest crime-fighting tool. A clumsily dressed cut leads to the invention of plastics. How chance conversation and sausage poison changed the face of Hollywood. And a broken thermometer sets in motion a chain of events that frees a country from colonialism. - The Beat Goes On
E3The Beat Goes OnClumsy gesticulation throws a sample onto a stove accidentally inventing vulcanized rubber. Grabbing the wrong resistor leads to the pacemaker. Up a failed experiment ignites- discovering a safe way to create flame on demand. A search for new galaxies leads to our best hope of contacting aliens. - Flash of Success
E4Flash of SuccessFumes from a broken thermometer cause the invention of photography. Radar parts and a melting snack bar lead to the microwave. Spilling a beaker of experimental chemicals gives rise to Scotchgard. And a routine trial of heart drug has a much more pronounced effect on another organ- becoming Viagra. - Sweet Success
E5Sweet SuccessA dirty laboratory and a vacation lead to the discovery of our first real weapon against bacteria: penicillin. A scientist’s determination to test the ‘wrong’ solution gives us Kevlar. Unwashed hands and some unexpectedly sweet bread is to thank for Saccharin. A failed laser becomes the LED light. - Acid Test
E6Acid TestA Swiss chemist’s attempts to make a lung drug results in LSD. The son of enslaved parents tires to reverse the fortunes of sharecroppers and inadvertently gives rise to PB&J. A failed dye becomes TNT. And a prison camp doctor and a fridge full of urine lead to improve mental healthcare. - Hair Raising Science
E7Hair Raising ScienceA failed blood pressure medicine and an unexpectedly hairy woman lead to a cure for baldness. How messing around with a scientific toy gave us the x-ray. An attempt to stop the paper curling in a newspaper printer becomes air conditioning. And why war is responsible for the slinky. - Bigger Bang
E9Bigger BangA misguided attempt to make plastic wallpaper results in bubble wrap. The precursor to a blood clotting drug becomes rave favorite MDMA. A mopped-up kitchen spill brings us smokeless explosive guncotton. A defective satellite lens leads to a new way to identify breast cancer. - Get a Grip
E11Get a GripA failed metal designed for gun barrels becomes kitchen favourite: surgical steel. Messing around in a spectacle maker’s shop leads to the telescope. A bag of dirt from a remote island contains a bacteria that helps stop aging. Pulling burrs off his dog’s coat leads to the invention of Velcro. - How Saran Wrap Saved D-Day
E12How Saran Wrap Saved D-DayThe search for an artificial form of quinine accidently creates the first artificial dye Mauvine. A failed dry-cleaning fluid results in Saran Wrap. An attempt to grow bacteria in the lab leads to a cancer killing drug. And how nurses on the Western front invented sanitary towels. - Sleeping on the Job
E13Sleeping on the JobHow a party drug from the 19th Century and a banged knee lead to the invention of anaesthetics. Electrotherapy and the true story behind the invention of telephone. A dropped experiment shatters resulting in material of the future; smart dust. And an ancient attempt to make cheese gave us tofu. - Lenin to Lady Gaga
E15Lenin to Lady GagaHow a failed poison gas detector results in the invention of the smoke detector. A Russian genius tries to measure gas density but ends up with musical instrument; the Theremin. A dropped beaker eventually leads to bulletproof glass. And the search for a new gunpowder that gives us iodine.
