Museum drawers have revealed the fossilised remains of extinct giant echidnas, some as large as dogs. Image Credit: Twentieth century occurrence of the Long-Beaked Echidna Zaglossus bruijnii in the Kimberley region of Australia Study Fig 2 Hidden in the silent, air-conditioned backrooms of museums lie tales that have waited a hundred years to be told….

The chemist’s discovery helped transform the modern textiles industry forever. Image credit – Wikimedia William Henry Perkin, a London-based chemistry student, was conducting experiments in his home laboratory. He was attempting to prepare a drug, quinine, that is used to treat malaria. One particular experiment did not work out as intended. The failure resulted in…

A small lab mistake became one of electronics’ most important manufacturing methods. Image credit – Wikimedia Laboratory mistakes often lead to something extremely unusual. In fact, many groundbreaking scientific findings have come from minor mishaps. For instance, according to some accounts, Polish chemist Jan Czochralski accidentally dipped his pen into molten metal rather than ink…

The surprising way scientists are finding Roman ruins beneath the sea. Image credit – Wikimedia A Roman city can disappear from common eyes yet not be wiped out entirely. Roads and other structural features can leave behind faint signals underneath the water, which have been present there for centuries, sculpted by sedimentation, tide levels, and…