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Who invented the microwave oven?

The microwave oven was invented by mistake when an engineer, by the name of Percy LeBaron Spencer, noticed that the radiation from a magnetron tube he is testing melted the chocolate bar he had in his pocket.

During World War II, Spencer was one of the leading experts in radar tube design working for Raytheon, a weapons and military  electronics contractor associated with the American Department of Defense. He headed the division tasked to develop and produce combat radar equipment for M.I.T.’s Radiation Laboratory.

while building magnetrons one day, Spencer noticed the candy bar he had in his pocket had melted while he was standing in front of an active radar set. Intrigued, he investigated on what caused the candy bar to melt. He experimented with food, including popcorn kernels, which became the world’s first microwaved popcorn.

Spencer then took a kettle and cut a hole on its side.  He placed a 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.

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- The Junkie

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Who invented the zipper?

We encounter them everyday. They are on our jeans, dresses, bags, throw pillow covers, even on the tents we used for weekend camping! Who should we thank for this ubiquitous and very useful invention?

Whitcomb L. Judson, who was a U.S.-born inventor, started a series of experiments. He came up with the clasp-locker, a product that was very much like the modern-day zipper. He was granted a patent for that on November 7, 1891. Years after that, Gideon Sundback had invented the ‘Hookless Fastener No. 2,’ which was a version with the very same concept as the zipper of today.

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- The Junkie

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Why do canned foods stay fresh longer?

It was not until French scientist Louis Pasteur discovered in 1860 that food goes bad because of bacteria that people realized how canning food works. According to Pasteur, bacteria which are usually present in fresh food and in the air breaks down substances in the food and make them useless or harmful to man.

To preserve food, it was discovered that heating kills the bacteria in the food, and the sealing of the container prevents more bacteria from getting into the food. This led to the invention of canning. Food inside a can should stay fresh for as long as there is no opening in the can.

- The Junkie

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Why are diamonds so expensive?

Diamonds are actually carbon pieces that was subjected to intense pressure and heat far down in Earth’s interior.  It takes a lot of time before the carbon is compacted and becomes the incredibly hard diamond.

Diamond are known as the hardest known natural substance on Earth. But before they become into the sparkly gems that we are familiar with, they must be first extracted from the earth, cleaned, cut and polished before they even get to the jewelers.

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- The Junkie

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Can you really make artificial meat from human feces?

Well, the Japanese is at it again.  They’re the first one I’ve heard  to ever delve into turning human excrement as a solution to the growing global food crisis.  The video below shows how Japanese scientist Mitsuyuki Ikeda turn the contents of the toilet bowl into meat substitute. Ikeda’s burger is made from soya, steak sauce essence, and protein extracted from human feces.   Talk about supporting the green movement and joining the organic bandwagon!  But this i think has gone too far!

- The Junkie

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How long do skyscrapers last?

Skyscrapers can last forever if they are properly maintained, that’s according to structural engineers. According to these experts, proper design and high-quality materials are the key to a long-lasting high-rise building.

Materials like steel and concrete will eventually deteriorate because of the elements particularly acid rain, but if damaged materials are repaired and replaced immediately, the building will have a new lease on life.

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- The Junkie