Arbor Windows

 

Percy Spencer carried peanut clusters in his pocket, primarily to share with chipmunks. One day Percy found the cluster he’d pocketed had melted – something unlikely to be caused by a warm day or even his own body heat. Percy was an employee of Raytheon, one of the country’s leading producers of magnetrons. He wondered if the energy that ruined his snack had come from an active magnetron. He experimented with a raw egg, which exploded and left him literally with egg on his face. Next came a bowl of un-popped popcorn. Sure enough, the corn popped when placed near a working magnetron. Percy’s discovery led to the invention of the microwave oven. Today, it's hard to imagine a kitchen without one. Percy Spencer was a clever fellow. But I think if I’d found something powerful enough to melt peanut clusters, pop corn and blow up eggs, my first thought would be how to prevent it from cooking me.