Actress Hedy Lamarr was very popular during the so-called “golden age of Hollywood.” Her great beauty and talent opened the doors to the film industry, and she appeared in some of the most important films of the time.
But this Austrian actress was ahead of her time, being a talented inventory. She is most notable for collaborating with composer George Anthiel to create a secure communications system during World War II. The idea was to allow the military to communicate securely.
Hedy Lamarr, the actress who invented Wi-Fi
During World War II, great technological advances were made to meet different needs. One of the most important needs was the ability to communicate without the “Axis Powers” being able to pick up or interrupt conversations.
Because of her Austrian background, she was motivated to help the American war effort. She was concerned about the ease with which the enemy side could intercept conversations. So she selflessly offered her skills.
Lamarr collaborated with composer George Antheil to develop a secret communications system called the Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum System. They were inspired by Antheil’s technique for composing piano music.
The system consisted of a total of 88 frequencies, from which one was selected at random. Something so seemingly simple made it very difficult for the “Axis Powers” to intercept and decode the signal. Thanks to this solution, Allied troops could communicate more easily without worrying so much about being heard by the enemy side.
The technology was patented by Lamarr and Antheil in 1924, but it would be decades before its relevance to wireless communications was seen. Interestingly, Lamarr’s patent was made under the surname of her then husband, Lous B. Markell.
Frequency hopping is the basis of today’s communication technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and other developments. So without the collaboration of actress Lamarr and pianist Antheil, we might not have these technologies.
The reality is that Hedy’s role in communication systems remains relatively unknown. She is best known for her films and for having turned down a few roles, such as the lead in Casablanca.
To give her visibility, in 2014, Austria, her native country, established the “Day of Invention” after her. In addition, Hedy has been an inspiration for many women to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
There have been great pioneers in science and in the field of computing, although they have not always had the recognition or visibility they should have.