Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers: and Other Odd Events on the Way to Scientific Discovery (New Scientist)

These irresistible stories reveal the little-known byways of scientific progress, where setbacks and mishaps are the norm, breakthroughs are the exception, and advances meant to improve people's lives can spectacularly backfire. Meticulously researched by the internationally acclaimed New Scientist magazine, these stories are an inspiring reminder of how the most unpromising lines of enquiry can sometimes, against all the odds, lead to brilliant results.

Stephanie Pain is a consultant for New Scientist with a PhD in deep-ocean biology. She created and for ten years edited New Scientist's popular "Histories" column.