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The Origin Of The Microwave Oven The microwave oven is an example of an invention whose roots were an accident. In 1946, Dr. Percy Spencer, an engineer with Raytheon Company, was testing a magnetron for a radar related project. The Magnetron is an electronic tube invented in 1940 that was used for Britains radar defenses during World War II. After one of his experiments, he reached into his pocket for a candy bar and noticed it was melted. Knowing the characteristics of a magnetron, he suspected this was caused by something more than simply body heat so he decided to conduct another experiment. He took some popcorn kernels, placed them near the magnetron tube and soon they were popping. Realizing he was on to something, he tried an egg. When the egg exploded, he realized that the egg had cooked from the inside out and the increase in pressure caused it to burst. By the end of 1946, Ratheon filed its patent and the first commercial microwave oven was produced before the end of 1947. The original microwave oven was about the size of a refrigerator and weighed about 750 lbs. It wasn't until 1952 that they were available for the ordinary home owner.

Contributed by Mark Bowman on March 9, 2008, at 11:30 PM UTC.

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This intel was contributed by Mark Bowman

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