Many of us benefit from the technological progress of the last century, but how often do we stop to ponder where all this cool stuff came from? The answers may be surprising. While private industry and civilian projects have come up with many useful new products and technologies, the Military has been a major envelope-pusher in terms of technological progress. Here are a few of the most noteworthy inventions brought to us by the armed forces of the red, white and blue.

It Gave Us the Internet

Al Gore famously boasted that he “invented the internet”. It is true that he played a role in its development, but the reality is that the internet is a product of military ingenuity. Arpanet, the internet’s predecessor, was originally designed to allow research institutions to communicate more quickly. As we discovered more functions and refined the “internetworking” process, the technology gradually evolved into what we know today.

It Gave Us GPS

Moving gear, supplies and personnel through battlefields has always been one of the riskiest aspects of waging war. Supply lines have historically been attacked by combatants because they are often considered “soft” targets and they frequently traverse remote areas ripe for ambush. Since the 1990s, the United States military has relied heavily on GPS technology. NIST 800-171 requirements have been created so defense contractors can more efficiently minimize security risks.

It Gave Us Microwave Ovens

In the modern era, we have become accustomed to more personal convenience than our predecessors enjoyed at any other time in history. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in our eating habits. The microwave oven works by bombarding an item (your dinner, in this case) with electromagnetic radiation. The radiation then triggers polar molecules to rotate, creating a warming effect. The microwave has come a long way since its inception, and the military now plans to produce microwave weapons one billion times more powerful than the microwave in your home.

It Gave Us Penicillin

Because developed countries like the U.S. have made huge strides in eradicating disease, many people may not realize how widespread infections were only a century ago. Bacterial infections were often deadly. Penicillin, courtesy of the U.S. military, was a gigantic breakthrough in medicine. These days, ailments such as strep throat, scarlet fever, pneumonia and many others are treatable with this handy antibiotic. It has saved millions of lives.

Many people question the large military budget of the United States. They wonder whether it is really necessary, yet those critics often overlook all the advancements derived from military research.

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