How to Become an Accidental Genius

Collective biographies of scientists, inventors, and innovators continue to be a popular genre. Nineteen such works are listed in prolific authors MacLeod and Wishinsky’s own list of print resources. Many such books highlight women and clearly fit into a desire to encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the STEM fields. MacLeod and Wishinsky, who are lauded authors, have a broader audience in mind with their volume: all North American kids, regardless of sex, ethnicity or economic means. The conceit expressed by the somewhat unfortunate title that this is a guide to becoming an accidental genius is only partly true as many of the innovators, inventions and discoveries described were not accidental at all.

The authors make a valuable contribution to the genre by identifying 10 key characteristics of inventors and illustrating each with three cases and some supplemental information in sidebars. The qualities featured include “Don’t be afraid to try”, “Recognize that it takes time”, “Recognize that failure is part of the process” and “Believe in yourself.” In reality, there is considerable overlap between categories. Nevertheless, the selection of cases is broad and impressive. The oldest case, from 1811, is also the biggest outlier in the book, focusing upon Mary Anning who amazed her contemporaries with her groundbreaking work on fossils. Many of the profiles feature women: Stephanie Kwolek who developed Kevlar in 1971, Sarah E. Goode who patented folding beds in 1885, Susan Olivia Poole who invented the jolly jumper in 1910, and Patricia Bath who developed a new cataract treatment in 1986. The inclusion of highly impactful medical discoveries, such as Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin in 1928, is complemented by more down-to-earth innovations, like Frank Epperson’s accidental development of the popsicle that he patented in 1905.

A final chapter, “Accidental geniuses—a new generation”, highlights three young inventors from around the world. Asuka Kamiya, a fifth grade student in Japan, developed a magnet-based self-separating recycling bin in 2014. Param Jaggi was 24 when he developed the EcoTube in 2008. This device uses algae and photosynthesis to convert some of the carbon dioxide in car exhaust into water and sugar, thereby reducing carbon emissions by up to 50 percent. Hayley Todesco of Calgary won the worldwide Google Science Fair prize in the category for seventeen- to eighteen-year-olds for her invention of a tailings filter for oilsands waste that can break down toxic compounds much more quickly than if they just sit in tailings ponds. Several additional youthful inventors are briefly noted throughout the book in the short essays introducing each chapter or in a sidebar.

The volume is heavily illustrated with appropriate photographs and drawings. The end material includes a glossary of terms that first appeared highlighted in bold in the text, print and online resources, an index, and an invaluable one page summary of the 10 key themes of the chapters. This page would make a wonderful poster for classroom use or at least a one-page photocopy to inspire all would-be inventors, scientists, and problem solvers. Teachers involved with science fairs will want to share the wisdom of How to Become an Accidental Genius with the young and curious students under their guidance.