Hedy Lamarr, born on November 9, 1914 in Vienna, Austria, is not only remembered for her brilliant career as a Hollywood actress, but also for her contribution to the science that laid the foundations for WiFi, Bluetooth and other wireless communication systems.
Lamarr began his career in European cinema at the age of 17, gaining recognition for his participation in the controversial and revolutionary film “Ecstasy” (1933).
This production attracted international attention, but also controversy, which prompted her to move to Hollywood in 1937. Once in the United States, she signed a contract with MGM and adopted the stage name Hedy Lamarr.
In Hollywood, Lamarr stood out for her acting talent and beauty. She participated in several successful films such as “Rise and Shine” (1940), “Samson and Delilah” (1949) and “Comrade X” (1940). However, beyond the glamor and the big screen, Lamarr led a hidden life as an inventor.
During World War II, in favor of the Allied cause and using his knowledge in the field of technology, Lamarr devised a system that prevented signal interference in remotely piloted torpedoes.
Together with composer George Antheil, he developed a “frequency hopping” mechanism, which allowed radio signals to alternate between different frequencies in a preset pattern.making it virtually impossible for communications to be intercepted or blocked.
In the middle of the War, Lamarr and Antheil received the patent for their then-called “Secret Communication System.” However, the US Navy did not implement his invention immediately.
His method was considered complex and remained unexplored until years later, when frequency hopping technology was rediscovered and influenced the development of advanced communication methods.
Lamarr’s contribution remained unknown to the public for a long time. The actress continued her career in the entertainment industry without receiving proper recognition for her invention. Historical records show that his film career began to decline in the 1950s.
Furthermore, it was not until the 1990s that he began to receive the well-deserved recognition for his scientific work, a result of previous years.
His invention was rediscovered by the technology community and its principles were found to be the basis of many forms of modern wireless communication, including WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth. At the end of the 20th century, Lamarr and Antheil were honored with the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Pioneer Award.
The actress died on January 19, 2000 in Casselberry, Florida, but her innovation lives on both in the film industry and in science and technology. In 2014, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, commemorating her contributions to communications technology.
Likewise, her life has been narrated in numerous biographies and documentaries, including “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” (2017), which explore both her film career and her scientific genius.
For its part, currently the impact of its work is reflected in each device such as computers, Smart TV, and cell phones connected to the internet.
About Hedy Lamarr, The musician George Antheil, who was a research colleague, mentioned that she was a woman ahead of her time.and that crossed the borders of cinema by interacting with the technological world and improving the quality of life.
His life does not require embellishment or exaggeration; She herself is a historical example of the intersection between art and science, talent and intelligence.
