Discovery of superglue shows power of pursuing the unexplained

Cyanoacrylates are a unique chemical species that today is having a signifi cant impact on a wide range of consumer and industrial applications, as wel l as promising to answer the surgeon's dream of a tissue adhesive and hemos tatic agent for a wide range of surgical procedures. Its astonishing adhesi ve properties were discovered in 1951 when a ruined instrument in the resea rch laboratories of the then Tennessee Eastman Company led to a flash of in sight followed by inevitable years of innovation. The discovery serves as y et another reminder to be open-minded and curious enough to pursue unexplai ned results that may unlock new secrets and lead to future exciting discove ries.