The microwave oven was a by-product of another radar technology, a vacuum tube called a magnetron. During a radar-related research project around 1946, right after World War ll, Dr. Percy Spencer, an engineer, noticed something very unusual. While testing the magnetron, he noticed that his chocolate bar had melted. This fascinated Dr. Spencer, so he tried another experiment. He actually used popcorn kernels as the first experiment, and watched them pop all over his lab. Next, he used an egg... and you can imagine his and his curious colleague's reaction. Of course, it exploded on their faces and they lit up with the idea of the revolutionizing microwave oven. You might ask, what is so revolutionizing about a microwave oven? Well it is extremely useful to reheat food in a matter of seconds. When you're in a rush to get to work or school, you can heat up some to go snack or drink, and take it with you. It is extremely efficient, if you ask anyone who uses the kitchen often, they will tell you just how much they love the microwave oven. This invention was first called the "Radarange" because it heats food by dielectric heating accomplished with radiation used to heat polarized molecules in food, the picture on the left shows the factors that make it work. By the seventies, more and more people were finding the benefits of microwave cooking to outweigh the possible risks. Risks including radiation poisoning, going blind, sterile, or becoming impotent, which thankfully didn't happen to anyone. It became the most successful invention in the industry of 1975, considering the sales of the further advanced microwave-oven rose higher than the ones of gas ranges. Japan used them the most at first, then the U.S accepted it in their homes. Now, it is unthinkable to live without a utility as useful as a microwave-oven, if you have the luxury of having one.