During the height of the second world war, a radio and microwave expert named Percy Spencer was working for the Raytheon Corporation, the early weapons manufacturer. As a leader on the "magnetron" project, Spencer played a crucial role in developing a radar tool that helped Allied ships avoid German U-boats.
But it wasn't his heroism in the lab that earned him a place in snack food history. One day, Spencer noticed a chocolate bar in his pocket melted while working on the radar system. The suddenly-melted chocolate sparked Spencer’s curiosity, and he hypothesized that the microwaves used to power the magnetron could also be used to cook food and set about conducting experiments.
He began testing his theory on foods around the lab. First, Spencer found that corn would pop when it interacted with microwaves. He then tried his new invention on other foods, such as eggs, but found that he needed a way to house microwaves after the eggs exploded into a messy explosion in the lab. But Spencer eventually found a way to contain microwaves within a device safely, giving the user the ability to control the power flow.
The result was the microwave oven. Spencer filed his patent for the concept on Oct. 8, 1945, noting that the device worked "…by employing wavelengths falling in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum." In other words, click the button and watch as your buttery popcorn pops in minutes! It would be years before Spencer's concept would fit into consumers' kitchens and budgets. The original microwave oven was called the Radarange and required plumbing to keep the device from overheating. It wasn't a kitchen appliance for everyone at thousands of dollars per device.
But eventually, the technology became more accessible and was released to the public in 1967. Today, the microwave oven is a staple in most households. From popcorn to eggs to reheating leftovers - Percy Spencer's invention took the innovation of radar tools from WWII and transformed it into a revolutionary cooking device. All it took was an accidentally melted chocolate bar to revolutionize the way we cook.
Rollie Nation's 10th Anniversary Celebration:
A Vision of the Next Decade in Footwear
I've recently teamed up with Rollie Nation, an Australian footwear brand, to mark their 10th-year anniversary and the opening of their new store. As part of a series of promotional pieces that envision the next 10 years, we created a stunning CGI piece that combines various visual and auditory elements with the brand's products. Our goal was to blur the lines between reality and imagination, and to offer an immersive experience that engages the senses and captures the essence of Rollie Nation's innovative spirit.