On this episode of Our American Stories, The iPhone, radar, and TV dinners don't appear to have much in common, but each tells a surprising story about how innovation really happens. The iPhone brought together technologies developed over decades, many of them originating in government and military research. Radar began with British scientists investigating the possibility of a "death ray" before becoming vital to Britain's defense during World War II. And while the washing machine gets credit for freeing women from hours of housework, prepared food may have actually saved them more time.

Economist Tim Harford, author of Fifty Things That Made The Modern Economy, shares the unexpected stories behind three inventions that transformed the way we live.

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