Creative writing: Cooking with radio waves

Writing prompt: In up to 300 words, describe a scientific discovery or breakthrough at which you would like to have been present.

Cooking with radio waves

A man, immaculately dressed in a crisp sapphire blazer and ivory trousers, stands beside the massive metal box. It towers at double his height, about a metre in width, a contraption of steel and copper. The man reaches behind the device, and seconds later, the metal beast whirs to life. As it hums, a distinct static fills the air. Nervous excitement emanates through the crowd.

The man's name is G. R. Severance. His slicked-back blonde hair and clean-shaven face are all part of a carefully crafted image. Westinghouse Electric. He flashes a smile. This technology, he declares, will transform every family's home in America forever... and, later, the world.

The otherworldly device in front of them, the man explains, is capable of cooking steaks and potatoes in a matter of minutes. This is a complete revelation to the time-consuming roasting and steaming of stovetop cooking. It soon would pave the way for the modern-day microwave oven.

To the man's right, the woman who accompanies him rises from her chair. An air of eloquence surrounds her. She wears a brunette bob of hair, a buttoned jade dress and a matching cloche. Her name is Fifi D'Orsay, esteemed Canadian-American film and theatre star. Fifi plucks a warmed sandwich from the apparatus's metal jaws and enthusiastically takes a bite.

"Delicious!"

Indeed, Chicago would remember this time for decades to come. One of the very stars on the city's flag proudly states its significance even today: the Chicago World's Fair of 1933. The fair brought science, technological innovation, and a promising image of the future to everyday Americans. It breathed life into a period of severe economic hardship, symbolising the city's tenacious spirit.