Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin was partly accidental; he noticed the mold inhibiting bacterial growth on a contaminated petri dish. elaborate
The accuracy of a sundial depends not only on its design but also on the observer's precise location and the equation of time, which accounts for the Earth's elliptical orbit. elaborate
The LD50, a common measure of toxicity, represents the dose of a substance that is lethal to 50% of a test population. It's not necessarily a precise measure for humans, as species can react very differently. elaborate
Gregor Mendel was also a skilled beekeeper and studied the inheritance of traits in honeybees, though this work wasn't as well-known as his pea plant experiments. elaborate
Meteorologists use weather balloons carrying radiosondes to measure atmospheric conditions at different altitudes, and these balloons sometimes reach the stratosphere – bursting only when the thin air can no longer support them. elaborate