From the space program to your kitchen!
Posted by drdavescience on July 2, 2007
Hi everyone!
You may have a very high-tech piece of cookware sitting in your kitchen!
In the 1950s, scientists developed a glass-ceramic material called Pyroceram ©. It probably looks very familiar to you. This material is heat resistant, durable, and invisible to radar!
This stuff was once used by the military and space program. My favorite use? Missile noses!
Pyroceram © was later used in kitchens because someone realized that it would make great cookware. It has changed names over the years, but Corning is the company that continues to use this technology – unbeknownst to moms everywhere.
I think the coolest part is that it is invisible to radar. This feature makes it perfectly suited to be used in a microwave.
Why?
Microwaves and radar are closely related. This means that the microwaves will pass through the Pyroceram and heat the food on the inside. Isn’t that cool? (I will soon explain how a microwave works.)
Imagine that, your dinner could be served in something that evades radar like the Stealth Bomber!
That’s what I call everyday science. Pretty cool!
Dr. Dave
Source http://www.corning.com/lifesciences/products__services/features/stirrerhistory.asp
How does a microwave oven work? « Dr. Dave Science said
[...] an earlier post about Pyroceram, I said I would explain how microwaves work. As promised, here it [...]