Unusual Inventions - The Sweet smell of the Microwave

by
Pardon the poetic title - but you couldn’t write this invention. This is the story of the chocolate bar, the scientists pocket, the popcorn and the egg. Confused?
*Okay, before we go on, I need to clarify. The Microwave is not and cannot be invented. Microwaves are natural forms of electromagnetic radiation, and don’t ask me more, I don’t know. However the product that we know as the Microwave is a product invented that cooks things very quickly - I think we all get that part.
Dr, Percy Spencer, can take credit for the Microwave Oven, but like many inventions, the Engineer was attempting to test other things at the time and it was just by luck and a bit of thinking that the credit falls at his lap. (literally)
Passing in front of a magnetron (a high-poweredvacuum tube that generatesmicrowaves using the interaction of a stream ofelectrons with amagnetic field) at one of the laboratories at Raytheon where he worked - the Doctor noticed that the chocolate bar that was in his pocket, had begun to melt. It got him thinking and he went and grabbed a bag of popcorn, which after being held up to the magnetron - began to pop...The egg he then ‘experimented on’ exploded...
Fast forward 20 years or so, post vast size microwave machines that would not look out of place on the TV show Lost as part of the Dharma Initiative, the Microwave Oven, or Microwave, as we simply know it was a mainstay in many homes. Now, we are literally lost without one in the home.
If ever you need the inspiration that many ideas and inventions, just happen (but you have to be doing something in the first place for them to happen) then the Microwave is that proof. Success must taste sweet for Dr. Percy Spencer, inventor of the Microwave*.
By the way, that is not Dr Percy Spencer in the picture, in case you were wondering...
Hungry for more unusual inventions - check out our tale of the Corn Flake.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Huckletree's new Web3 HQ aims to put London’s West End at the forefront of Britain’s tech superpower ambitions.

Kingussie High School scoops first place for Junior and Senior categories at this year’s Growing Future Assets Competition.

The lowdown on Manchester-based Arctic Shores and its innovative recruitment solution to help candidate potential count as much as skills and experience.

With the demand for tattoo removal now greater than ever, specialist NAAMA Studios makes a bid for a further £11m in funding.

By combining machine-learning with zero-party data, new tool launched by MarTech startup Qudo ends the ‘era of assumption’ for marketers.

Want to be your own boss and earn some money whilst travelling? Here are a few ways to do just that...

Innovative app marketing and analytics startup, App Radar becomes first platform to provide app marketers with Generative AI-powered insights into their own apps and competition.

Shropshire-based agri-robotics startup upp is automating broccoli harvesting and 'upcycling' the 80% waste into sustainable protein.

Alba secures licence to help transform banking for small and medium sized businesses in Scotland via its high-tech and customer-focused solution.

Making a few small changes in March could make all the difference for your business. Daniella Genas, founder of Be The Boss shares some tips on doing just that.
Published on: 10th September 2012
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Huckletree opens new London hub for tech companies pioneering Web3 solutions 16th Mar 2023 Huckletree's new Web3 HQ aims to put London’s West End at the forefront of Britain’s tech superpower ambitions.
- Scottish Highlands Home to the Next Generation of Future Female Investors 15th Mar 2023 Kingussie High School scoops first place for Junior and Senior categories at this year’s Growing Future Assets Competition.
- London-based NAAMA Studios on a mission to raise £11m funding 14th Mar 2023 With the demand for tattoo removal now greater than ever, specialist NAAMA Studios makes a bid for a further £11m in funding.
- Qudo democratises data-powered marketing with new ‘freemium’ research and activation platform 14th Mar 2023 By combining machine-learning with zero-party data, new tool launched by MarTech startup Qudo ends the ‘era of assumption’ for marketers.