Coming just two decades after the last great global conflict, the Second World War was the most widespread and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries and resulting in more than 50 million military and civilian deaths (with some estimates as high as 85 million dead).
Myths were melting away, and doubt was turning into demand. By 1975, sales of microwave ovens would, for the first time, exceed that of gas ranges. The following year, a reported 17% of all homes in Japan were doing their cooking by microwaves, compared with 4% of the homes in the United States the same year.
By late 1946, the company filed a patent proposing that microwaves be used to cook food. The first one produced weighed 340kg, stood 6ft tall and cost $5,000 (Â£3,664). But years of work were needed to make the invention affordable and small enough for kitchens.