You can read here about 'Science's 10 most beautiful experiments'. There are some beauties here, but I have to say one of my scientific heroes, who I read about in this book is the guy who discovered that helicobacter pylori (say it a few times - go on, it's fun) contributes to ulcerous stomach problems. No-one believed him so he took a scrape of bacteria from the inside of a sufferer's stomach, cultivated it in a petrie/petrey dish (not sure how to spell this) and then swallowed it. He got symptoms within a week and then cured himself with antibiotics.

What a guy!

B-)