An estimated 94% of all U.S. households own a microwave oven. Whether black laminate or gleaming chrome, “Nuke It!” has turned from cold war phrase to cold food fix in the matter of a few decades. But of course, microwaves have nothing to do with nuclear particles but they do owe their existence to a chocolate bar melting in Raytheon Engineer Percy Spencer’s pocket. Read on to see how ruining an honest engineers shirt can lead to a change in how many in the U.S. cook their food

As well documented from our friends at Wikipedia:

One day while building magnetrons, Spencer was standing in front of an active radar set when he noticed the candy bar he had in his pocket had melted. Spencer was not the first to notice this issue, but he was the first to investigate it. The experiment with food included popcorn kernels, which became the world’s first microwaved popcorn. Spencer then decided to get a kettle and cut a hole in the side, then put the whole egg in the kettle and positioned the magnetron to direct the microwaves into the hole. The result was the egg exploding in the face of one of his co-workers, who were looking in the kettle to observe. Spencer then created the first true microwave oven by attaching a high density electromagnetic field generator to an enclosed metal box. The magnetron emitted microwaves into the metal box blocking any escape, allowing for controlled and safe experimentation. He then placed various food items in the box, while observing effects and monitoring temperatures.

And that is how an engineering mistake, or stumble on, became the incredible innovation that it is today.