In the last couple of years, we have seen innovation reach a new high where we have developed technology that long ago might have seemed impossible. Not only do we continue to drive new innovation but we are able to vastly improve “older” or “legacy” technology and give it the capabilities of our modern age technology. But not all inventions were intentional. There are numerous developments that have occurred by mistake or an “accident”. Two examples would be the microwave oven and the pacemaker. These two inventions were not ideas that derived from nothing, rather they were ideas that were sparked when working on something else.
The microwave was invented by accident “when a Raytheon engineer named Percy Spencer was testing a military-grade magnetron and suddenly realized his snack had melted.” (Blitz, M.) It is an interesting fact to know that Raytheon Company, now Raytheon Technologies, was involved in the development of the microwave oven since they are a defense contractor focusing on “making missiles, military training systems and electronic warfare products.” (Blitz, M.) During World War II “Raytheon was working on improving radar technology for Allied forces” (Blitz, M.) and “Spencer was the company’s go-to problem solver.” (Blitz, M.) The accident occurred one day in 1946 when “Spencer was testing his magnetron when he stuck his hand in his pocket, preparing for the lunch break when he made a shocking discovery: The peanut cluster bar had melted.” (Blitz, M.) Following this observation, Spencer took several other things like an egg, which exploded, and corn kernels that popped into popcorn. A year later in 1947, “the first commercial microwave hit the market.” (Blitz, M.) The cost was $2,000 and weighed about 750 pounds. It was not until 1955 that the first domestic microwaves were introduced. Microwaves did not gain traction into American homes until 1967.
The pacemaker, a device that helps with irregular heart rhythms, was also invented by accident. Wilson Greatbatch was the responsible inventor for the device in 1956. Greatbatch was originally “building an instrument to monitor heart sounds and had accidentally placed a transistor that was 100 times more powerful…” (Abu Hasan, H. E.) The result was “electrical pulses that were akin to the pulsed rhythm of the human heart.” (Abu Hasan, H. E.) Now pacemakers did exist before his discovery but they “were external devices hung around the patients’ necks and used to shock patients during its use.” (Abu Hasan, H. E.) They were described as television that required to be plugged into electrical sockets. Greatbatch’s invention changed all this by introducing the capability implants inside the human body. One of his first prototypes was the size of a hockey puck, which as a huge milestone in miniaturization, was first tested on dogs. Eventually, Greatbatch noticed that batteries needed to be replaced every two years if they contained mercury and zinc. In 1970, he established his own company and produced lithium-iodine batteries that lasted more than 10 years
Both of these inventions had an impact on the world. Today they are everyday common devices and are becoming technologies of the past. It is incredible to think that they were not created with the intention to solve any real issues rather it was just sparked innovation. The pacemaker existed already and Spencer was working on radar application, not appliances. But the common driving and supporting forces that drove these innovations were that both men loved what they did, they were inventors, they were problem solvers, they were driven simply by the desire to help and solve problems. These are common traits that most inventors and visionaries have. The key trait that I see here and have heard numerous times from many people is simply “do what you love to do”, whether you are an engineer, a musician, a doctor, a teacher, if you love what you do then you will excel in it.
In conclusion, “accidental” inventions have led to be some of the greatest inventions in history. From technology to medicine, innovation can be found anywhere even when you are not looking for it. It might be silly to make this comparison but many will know this to be true. When you are looking for something it is sometimes impossible to find but when you stop looking is usually when it is found.
References
Abu Hasan, H. E. (2017, May). The man and his accidental invention: The pacemaker. MIMS News. https://today.mims.com/the-man-and-his-accidental-invention/
The accidental invention of the Lifesaving pacemaker. (2020, October 29). The Saturday Evening Post.https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/09/the-accidental-invention-of-the-lifesaving-pacemaker/#:~:text=Wilson%20Greatbatch%20%E2%80%94%20who%20was%20born,invented%20the%20implantable%20artificial%20pacemaker
Blitz, M. (2016, February 24). How the microwave was invented by accident. Popular Mechanics. https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a19567/how-the-microwave-was-invented-by-accident/
Kevin Tepas 