Amazing Products Brought to Us By the World Wars

War might be shrouded in pain and turmoil, but there’s often a silver lining amidst the chaos. Most of the products that we’re so familiar with today are the result of wars, specifically World Wars I and II. Microwave ovens, instants and even duct tape are some of the amazing products that came about because of these wars. But hey, at least something good came out of these crazy times!\r \r 1. Tampons\r \r Today, tampons are strictly a feminine hygiene product but they were originally anything but that. Back in WWI, manufacturing company Kimberly-Clark developed a lightweight, highly absorbent gauze known as Cellucotton to help injured American soldiers slow down bleeding. Many years later, the leftover Cellucotton bandages were first used as a menstruating product by Red Cross nurses. Spotting an opportunity, Kimberly-Clark took note of this and wasted no time producing their first sanitary napkin which later became the cotton tubes we now call tampons.\r \r 2. Instant Noodles\r \r College students on a tight budget owe their thanks to Momofuku Ando for creating this cheap, life-saving meal. Born in Taiwan, Momofuku was expatriated to Japan during the country’s occupation of his homeland. By the time the Second Sino-Japanese War had ended, he found himself caught in yet another one, this time the Pacific War of WWII. Battling what seemed to be endless hunger, Momofuku felt inspired to create cheap, instant noodles that could be eaten anytime and anywhere. Though his creation wasn’t mass produced until many years later after several failed attempts.\r \r 3. Disposable Syringes\r \r Early syringes were initially made out of glass and metal syringes. This meant that wounded soldiers had to deal with the pain until they were carted off the medical tents and treated with morphine. But the old way of doing this quickly came to an end with the invention of a new product called the Syrette, which was compact and expendable. Syrettes were distributed among troops with a pre-filled dosages which meant that wounded soldiers could be treated on the spot. This set the stage for plastic syringes that are now widely used in medical settings.\r \r 4. Duct Tape\r \r During the Second World War, American soldiers found themselves in desperate need of a flexible, water-proof material that they could use to repair everything from canteens to ammunition cases. That’s when Johnson and Johnson came to the rescue with a combination of self-adhesive strip and medical tape which was delivered in rolls. Though it was a Navy mother who came up with the idea out of concern for her enlisted family. Its versatile use was so popular that even long after the war ended, consumers quickly demanded that the military make it available to the general public.\r \r 5. Microwave Ovens\r \r Microwave ovens came into being thanks to self-taught engineer Percy Spencer who was conducting research on magnetrons---a crucial component of radar systems---during World War II. It was during that time he noticed that a candy bar in his pocket was melted which was due to the heat generated by the magnetrons. He tested this on other food items, including eggs and popcorn. After playing around for sometime, Spencer brought his discovery to his employers and it wasn’t long---well 1955 to be exact---that the first microwave oven was created.