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Hedy Lamarr

By Maria Teodora Balaban


She is best known for her presence on the silver screen during Hollywood’s Golden Age, but her legacy extends far beyond her cinematic achievements. Behind the beauty and the glamour was a brilliant mind whose technological invention would become the foundation for some of the most essential wireless communications of the modern era.

Born in Vienna in 1914, Lamarr began her film career in Europe before moving to Hollywood, where she quickly rose to fame with..roles in movies like Algiers (1938) and Samson and Delilah (1949). However, what many didn’t realize at the time was that Lamarr had a strong passion for science and invention.

During World War II, disturbed by the dangers faced by Allied forces, especially in the Atlantic, where German U-boats were sinking ships, Lamarr wanted to help. Alongside composer and fellow inventor George Antheil, she set out to create a system that would allow radio signals to be transmitted without being easily intercepted or jammed.


The Invention

In 1941, alongside Antheil, she patented a revolutionary technology known as "frequency-hopping spread spectrum”.The concept involved rapidly switching radio frequencies in a synchronized pattern between transmitter and receiver. This technique would make it extremely difficult for enemies to detect or block the communication, as the signal would appear as random noise.

The invention was initially intended to guide torpedoes using secure radio signals, preventing the Axis powers from jamming them. While the U.S. Navy didn’t adopt the technology during the war, the concept laid the groundwork for future developments in wireless communication.


The Legacy: Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth

Lamarr’s invention was far ahead of its time. It wasn’t until decades later, during the 1960s and beyond, that the principles behind frequency hopping became instrumental in the development of technologies like:

  • Wi-Fi

  • Bluetooth

  • GPS

Today, her innovative thinking is recognized as a cornerstone of modern wireless communication systems. Whether you're sending a text, using a GPS device, or streaming music via Bluetooth, you have Hedy Lamarr’s pioneering ideas to thank.



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