Gone Sideways

Gr 10 Up—Host David Suzuki explores the role chance played in dozens of key scientific discoveries—from pasteurization to the phonograph, and from the printing press to Viagra—in this quirky documentary. The film is deftly divided into three primary sections. The first segment focuses on the Principal of Limited Sloppiness as exemplified by the work of Alexander Fleming, the bacteriologist whose messy lab habits led to the discovery of penicillin. The next section explores the events that led to the invention of Velcro by George de Mestral, who came home from a walk with burs stuck to his pant leg. The final part centers on the story of a railroad surveyor who first discovered trilobites through a routine project. Through clever animation and interactive reenactments, the film successfully demonstrates that serendipity is less of an anomaly and more of a driving force in many wide-ranging, life-improving scientific discoveries. An excellent choice for lab-centered science programs at the high school and college levels.—Vincent M. Livoti, Sherrill Library, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA