Looking for Title or Author or anything you know

Hello everybody;

after spending hours of pointless internet research I stumbled over your forum and hope for help.

Years ago I read a collection of sci fi stories from a single author (could be a best of or a collection of all of his short stories) - I can neither remember his name nor the name of the collection. I read it as an e-book but it definitely has been published as a "real" book, too.

I guess the stories were written mostly in the 50s and 60s, but there could be some older or maybe newer stories, too. Most of them were about cranky or quirky scientists who discovered some strange device (in one story it was used to defeat an alien attack that was suited in a very foggy US city - I don't remeber why but the fog war crucial for the success).

The only story I can really remember well (it was one of the oldest so the 'plot twist' at the end feels quite lame today) is about a society where sexual encounter is expected at the first date. People who do not like that (or think the cannot not meet the other's expectations) and can afford it buy sex robots who do the kinky stuff for them (the robots are not really intelligent but who cares when it comes to sex, right?). In this story both find out that the other one sent his/her sex robot to the date and decide to have traditional sex, too.

Another story was a discussion between a chemist and his boss - during the story you find out that while chemistry (or: science) is rather evolved they do not know electricity.

I know that's not really much, but maybe somebody can help?

Thank you,
Markus

What comes to my mind now: There are a few stories with the same scientist discovering something that leads to complete mayhem but can be reverted (sometimes with a deus ex machina discovery) - I guess there was one story about curing all sorts of disease which nearly led to complete extinction of mankind.

My first thought was Henry Kuttner. I remember he had a recurring scientist character named Gallegher in some of his stories. He also wrote as Lewis Padgett with his wife C.L. Moore. He has had various story collections published.

If I understand it correctly, Gallagher is only a genius when he's drunk and forgets about his inventions when he's sober again. There is no such thing in the stories I'm searching for. It's just a scientist who does not think of the consequences of his work.

Yes, that's right. I remember now. It's been quite a few years. Does this ring a bell with any of my fellow Chrons? Especially thinking of @Victoria Silverwolf who is well read in classic sf short stories...