10 Everyday Inventions That Exist Thanks To War

The invention of radar was a pretty significant factor in determining how World War II played out. It's no great surprise that the use of radio waves to detect flying or sailing things was pioneered by the military, since it let them find and kill the enemy so much more easily.

Around 1945, engineer Percy Spencer was working on a radar array emitting microwaves, as such contraptions are wont to do. While standing in front of the array he noticed a candy bar in his pocket had melted, and tempered his grief at the loss of his sugary snack by experimenting with putting other items of food in front of the radar dish.

He had discovered the ability of microwaves to cook things. His company paid him two dollars for the patent and began making microwave ovens in the late 1940s, and by 1967 they were small and cheap enough to start turning up in household kitchens. Thus it was the desire to shoot down aircraft more accurately led to mankind's capacity to make apple pies way too hot.