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Apr 2022
39m 37s

Two Accidental Inventions

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Often, inventions that are made quite by accident end up becoming an everyday part of life. This episode covers two of those: the microwave oven and the chocolate chip cookie.

Research: 

  • Balsley, Betsy. “Microwave Ovens Put the Space Age in the Kitchen.” Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Dec. 4, 1968. https://www.newspapers.com/image/271185585/?terms=radarange&match=1
  • Ratheon Company. “Technology Leadership.” https://web.archive.org/web/20130322044917/http://www.raytheon.com/ourcompany/history/leadership/
  • Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "microwave oven". Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Oct. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/technology/microwave-oven 
  • Weiss, Stanley I. and Amir, Amir R.. "Raytheon Company". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr. 2016, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Raytheon-Company
  • “Amana.” Whirlpool. https://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/2010annual/brand-amana.html
  • “Percy Spencer.” Atomic Heritage Foundation. https://www.atomicheritage.org/profile/percy-spencer#:~:text=Percy%20Spencer%20was%20an%20American,at%20a%20local%20paper%20mill.
  • “Tappan Stove Company.” Ohio History Central. https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Tappan_Stove_Company#:~:text=In%201955%2C%20the%20Tappan%20Stove,too%20expensive%20for%20home%20use.
  • Jorgensen, Timothy J. “Hot Food, Fast: The Home Microwave Oven.” Smithsonian. March 16, 2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/hot-food-fast-home-microwave-oven-turns-50-180962545/
  • “Patent No. 2,495,429 – P.L. Spencer – Method of Treating Foodstuffs.” United States Patent and Trademark Office. January 24, 1950. https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=02495429&IDKey=261705CF6164&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D2495429.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F2495429%2526RS%3DPN%2F2495429
  • “Revolution in Kitchens Is Created by Amana’s Microwave Radarange.” The commercial Appeal. Sept. 30, 1968. https://www.newspapers.com/image/770831761/?terms=radarange&match=1
  • Wyman, Carolyn. “The Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Book: Scrumptious Recipes & Fabled History From Toll House to Cookie Cake Pie.” Countryman Press. 2013.
  • Roberts, Sam. “Forgotten No More: Overlooked No More: Ruth Wakefield, Who Invented the Chocolate Chip Cookie.” New York Times. March 21, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/obituaries/overlooked-ruth-wakefield.html
  • “CONTROL IS SOUGHT OF LAMONT, CORLISS.” New York Times. December 23, 1949. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1949/12/23/84292752.html?pageNumber=29
  • Blitz, Matt. “The Amazing True Story of How the Microwave Was Invented by Accident.” Popular Mechanics. Sept. 2, 2021. https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a19567/how-the-microwave-was-invented-by-accident/

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