Buzz
Many items we use in daily life are based on technologies first developed for military purposes. Throughout history, warfare has been a significant driving force behind innovation. Although it’s unfortunate that the need for violence has often spurred humanity’s greatest inventions, numerous technologies originally intended for warfare have had a lasting impact on society.
Here are ten common items that were born out of military technology.
10. Duct Tape
Like every toolbox, car window repair kit, and basic first aid supplies, no list of military innovations would be complete without duct tape. Initially designed by a factory worker to seal and waterproof ammunition boxes, it quickly became a go-to solution for a wide range of problems both on the battlefield and in everyday life.
Vesta Stout, the inventor, nearly missed her chance to share her revolutionary creation. After struggling to get attention for her tape, she took matters into her own hands and sent a letter directly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Within weeks, Stout received the news that Johnson & Johnson would begin producing duct tape for military purposes.
From 1942 to the present day, duct tape has remained an essential tool for quick repairs, makeshift bandages, and, briefly in the early 2000s, crafting shiny wallets for eighth graders to trade with each other.
9. Microwave Oven
Right now, a college student is likely microwaving a cup of noodles in three minutes, a writer is reheating coffee for the umpteenth time, and a child is turning old CDs into a homemade laser light show. What makes these tasks possible? The microwave.
In 1940, as Nazi Germany's aircraft struck terror into Great Britain, a group of British physicists arrived in the U.S. carrying top-secret cargo that greatly enhanced radar technology. The British team’s research was a crucial part of WWII radar development. Then, in 1946, American engineer Percy Spencer used a key component from the British radar designs, the cavity magnetron, to create a device that rapidly heats food. Spencer supposedly had the idea when a peanut bar melted in his pocket while working near radar equipment.
By 1955, the first commercially available microwaves hit the market, priced at over $1,200 (around $12,000 in today's money). Fortunately, as time passed, microwaves became more affordable, bringing frozen meals and instant ramen to the masses. Today, even the most basic motel room wouldn't feel complete without this piece of WWII technology.
8. Super Glue
As its name suggests, super glue is a powerful adhesive that binds all kinds of unexpected items together with surprising strength. A quick search online reveals many incredible and sometimes amusing applications of the glue. Like many groundbreaking inventions, this remarkable adhesive was discovered by accident during efforts to create more effective weaponry.
In 1945, a team of scientists, including Dr. Harry Coover, experimented with cyanoacrylate chemicals to design clear gun sights for use in WWII. While the sights were never developed, Coover returned to the chemicals six years later and released what we now know as “Super Glue” in 1958. Even after its commercial release, the military continued to find innovative uses for the product, such as sealing aircraft canopies and closing wounds.
From its beginnings as a failed attempt to improve gun sights, to an exceptionally strong adhesive discovered through research, and eventually to the ubiquitous sticky household item we use today, super glue is an example of both truth in advertising and a prime case of military research and development making its way into everyday life.
7. Global Positioning System
In the distant past, GPS was neither an acronym nor a reality, and the idea of a talking computer guiding someone to a destination was the stuff of science fiction. Little did anyone realize that one day, this technology would emerge, placing fairly accurate directions into the hands of even the most distracted drivers.
The remarkable GPS revolution began with a simple goal: to track submarines during the Cold War. By the 1970s, the Department of Defense expanded the project, launching the first NAVSTAR satellite in 1978, with the final satellite reaching orbit in 1993. The system proved invaluable during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Despite only 19 of the 24 satellites being operational, the limited coverage of this untested technology helped U.S.-led Coalition forces outmaneuver Iraqi troops across the featureless desert.
The initial military applications of GPS remain significant today, and the technology's use has grown far beyond the military sector. In the modern world, anyone with a cellphone utilizes GPS without a second thought. It's now integrated into most internet-connected devices, serving a wide range of purposes that the original inventors never envisioned, including location-based marketing, ridesharing, and on-demand restaurant deliveries.
6. The Internet
The internet’s impact on human society is impossible to fully measure, yet it has undeniably transformed civilization. Both praised and criticized by many, the modern internet is an expansive network of practical tools, valuable information, meaningful interactions, echo-chamber politics, cyberbullying, and, of course, vast amounts of pornography. This so-called 'blessing and curse' began as a simple idea to connect computers and share scientific knowledge.
In the 1960s, the DoD's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) received a proposal from computer scientist J.C.R. Licklider for a worldwide computer network designed to share data. This led to the creation of new programming languages from universities and laboratories across the globe, the network became more cohesive, and eventually, it expanded into the private sector. In 1985, a computer manufacturer registered the first domain, which opened the door to the internet for consumers, and since then, the internet has expanded at an incredible rate.
The internet deserves a spot on the list of the most impactful military technologies because of how drastically it has changed humanity. What began as a simple concept—sharing data across interconnected systems—has now become so ingrained in our daily lives that losing internet access is more than just an inconvenience; it’s a full-blown crisis for modern Homo sapiens.
5. Canned Food
These days, a wide variety of foods come in cans—corn, tuna, pig’s feet, tamales, and many more fill grocery store shelves. Year after year, middle-class households stock their pantries with canned goods, only to toss them out during spring cleaning. This preservation method, which helps feed so many people, originated from the essential need to ensure soldiers had reliable access to food.
The familiar phrase, 'an army marches on its stomach,' underscores the vital role that food plays in sustaining soldiers during campaigns. However, food spoils over time, presenting a major challenge for those hoping to preserve it. The French army, alarmed by the number of soldiers dying from spoiled rations rather than from combat, sought ways to extend the shelf life of their food supplies. In 1806, Nicolas Appert set out to win a substantial prize from the French government for developing a method to preserve food long-term. His successful invention earned him the title 'the father of canning,' and forever changed military rations. Soon after, canned food transitioned to civilian markets, providing an efficient, hygienic way to store food for extended periods.
Modern canning and food preservation have played a significant role in human population growth. While Vienna sausages, Spam, and corned beef hash may not be the pinnacle of fine dining, the same preservation techniques that seal these products allow armies to move across nations and, most importantly, provide sustenance to those who would otherwise face starvation.
4. Bagged Salad
Bagged salad is another military-derived innovation that seamlessly became part of everyday life. While it may lack in flavor, nothing quite conveys freshness like a crisp leaf of iceberg lettuce on a flash-fried chalupa.
During WWII, German inventor Karl Busch developed the first vacuum sealer machine with the aim of preserving food for military families and soldiers. In the 1950s, vacuum technology initially designed for military use eliminated the need for large amounts of ice to transport vegetables. The new process proved more efficient at cooling and preserving leafy greens, particularly by removing air to slow spoilage. This advancement made it possible to transport fresh lettuce and other greens long distances, even to regions far from farms. In 1963, Busch redesigned his machine for industrial use, and by 1984, the first modern home vacuum sealer was introduced to the public.
Without the vacuum technology developed during WWII, fast-food restaurant salads would be prohibitively expensive, much like they are now. However, the option for consumers to prepare their own chicken Caesar salad at home would be nearly impossible.
3. Roomba
Skynet seems to have fallen behind schedule. iRobot, on the other hand, kicked off the era of machines nearly two decades ago. Their robots are already integrated into our lives: on our streets, in our cities, and within our homes. These small, mobile discs that roam across floors, consuming Cheeto crumbs, dog hair, and cat litter, are far more than just autonomous vacuum cleaners; Roombas carry the programming DNA of true combat machines.
According to iRobot co-founder Colin Angle, the technology behind Roombas' ability to vacuum efficiently is derived from the same programming used by military robotic minesweepers. The breakthroughs that allow Roombas to avoid obstacles (for the most part) also help soldiers navigate dangerous minefields with robotic devices designed for clearing mines.
While civilian Roombas patrol our floors hunting for crumbs and the occasional penny, their military counterparts are deployed to help human forces neutralize deadly explosives. It's only a matter of time before these vacuums team up with voice assistants to star in another *Terminator* movie sequel.
2. Virtual Reality
A wide range of games and immersive experiences allow users to dive deep into the virtual world today, but these interactive technologies all trace their roots back to military training programs developed in the 1980s.
It all began with the creation of advanced flight simulators and evolved into modern simulated combat environments, vehicle trainers, team-building exercises, and even mental health therapy. While military VR was designed to complement personnel training, it’s not meant to replace actual hands-on experience, much like a player's expertise on a VR surgery simulator doesn't mean they should perform an appendix removal.
While the military probably doesn’t teach soldiers how to walk across a beam suspended 20 stories above ground, escape from a virtual prison cell, or shoot aliens with oversized lasers, the training technology pioneered in the 1980s played a significant role in the development of today’s expanding virtual world.
1. Synthetic Rubber
Synthetic rubber is ubiquitous in modern life. From cars and electronics to furniture, skateboards, shoes, and even dog toys, synthetic rubber has become integral to the products people use daily. The world of rubber today might look entirely different if it weren’t for military-funded research during WWII. The need for rubber during the war directly led to the creation of this modern marvel of material science.
When the Japanese expanded their Pacific empire, they cut off much of the global supply of natural rubber, leaving the United States urgently seeking a way to produce synthetic alternatives. With rubber consumption already at 600,000 tons per year and supplies dwindling, President Roosevelt established a committee in 1942 to address the rubber shortage. By April of that year, Firestone rolled out the first bale of synthetic rubber from its manufacturing line.
The swift development of synthetic rubber to meet wartime needs directly contributed to its widespread use in countless products we rely on today. This invention, born out of military necessity, became another example of technology developed for defense that later transformed into a key growth driver in the civilian market.
