The History and Invention of The Microwave Oven

Almost every man-made product, that exists in the 21st century, was invented by someone. These includes but not limited to cloths, pots, spoons, cars, computers, the alphabet, radios, aeroplanes among others. The technological evolution process can be traced thousands of years back since the evolution of mankind. Throughout, human beings have been inventing innovative products that have continued to provide support to mankind and make life easier. 

For centuries, necessity has always been termed as the root driving force towards "invention" and development of feasible solutions to a wide range of problems facing mankind. While this statement remains relevant and valid, it is not always the case. This is because some of the inventions were not purely necessity-driven but occurred as a result of an accident or an error committed by the inventor. Though the 21st century has been an era of constant technological innovations, it is worth mentioning that an invention can take a number of years to fully mature and to be accepted. Through the process, the innovation has to undergo a comprehensive experiment and thorough testing to make it acceptable. A simple accident, however, or an error by the scientist can lead to a life-changing discovery.

Found in almost every kitchen in the United States (U.S.), the microwave oven is among the 20th century inventions that were accidental. According to Ross (2017), the microwave oven was invented by a self-taught American engineer called Percy LeBaron Spencer. This invention was made at Raytheon Corporation where Spenser’s role mainly involved working on vacuum tubes or magnetrons. Typically, the tubes are used in radar systems to generate microwave radiations. In 1941, Spencer developed an efficient manufacturing process that saw the level of daily production rising to 2600 in comparison to prior processes that produced 17 tubes per day. The microwave idea evolved in 1945 when Spenser was testing a magnetron in the lab. Accidentally, Spenser noticed that the microwaves that were generated by the magnetron had melted a chocolate bar in his pocket. Curiosity drove Spenser into experimenting the effect of the magnetron on popcorn kernels. To his surprise, the popcorns popped (Smith, 2016).

This success motivated Spencer to continue experimenting the impact of the emitted microwaves on other food stuff. Next, he placed an egg in front of the magnetron and the egg exploded. Intrigued by this discovery, Spencer and his colleagues at Raytheon Corpration embarked on a project to start the development of the first-known cooking microwave oven. During the process, Spencer and his colleagues further observed that microwave energy does not escape through metals and that it can cook faster than heated ovens. Accordingly, Spencer patented the invention in 1945. Commercialization of microwave oven began in 1947. Radarange was among the first commercial microwave ovens. According to Editors of Publications International, Ltd. (n.d.), the oven was priced around $5,000, was about 5 and1/2 feet tall, and weighed around 750 pounds.

Besides its use in ovens, microwave technology also plays a significant role in the research and development of radar systems. Additionally, scientists and astronomers also use this technology to monitor the weather and satellites. Moreover, this technology is also used to monitor sea levels.

Forces that led to the evolution of the microwave

Although the invention of the microwave oven is mostly attributed to Spenser, it is worth noting that it did not happen overnight, and was also a group effort rather than an individual’s idea. Primarily, one of the forces that may be regarded to have led to the development of this technology was the Second World War. It was during this period that the British government was trying to develop a radar system that would help to defend against the enemy. Constrained by financial resources to support its military activities, the British government was forced to exchange the microwave technology with the government of the United States in return for financial and industrial help (History of Microwave, n.d.). As such, the evolution of the microwave oven was influenced by both technological advancements as well as political conflicts. 

 

Reference List

Editors of Publications International, Ltd. 9 Things Invented or Discovered by Accident. Retrieved December 17, 2021, from https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/scientific-experiments/9-things-invented-or-discovered-by-accident.htm

History of Microwave. (n.d.). Facts and History of Microwave. Retrieved December 18, 2021, from http://www.historyofmicrowave.com/

Ross, R. (2017, January). Who Invented the Microwave Oven? Retrieved December 17, 2021, from https://www.livescience.com/57405-who-invented-microwave-oven.html

Smith, M., M. (2016, November). The Devil Is in the Details: Researching an Inventor’s Biography. Retrieved December 17, 2021, from https://invention.si.edu/devil-details-researching-inventor-s-biography