Austrian actress and inventor, Hedy Lamarr, made herself a big name in the field of wireless communications. She developed an early technique for spread spectrum communications and frequency hopping, which helped combat the Nazis in World War II. Hedy had help with all of this from her co-inventor George Anthiel. It was in 1997, when she was honored with the special award for “trail-blazing development of a technology that has become a key component of wireless data systems”.
She was from Vienna, Austria, and graced the world with her presence from November 9th, 1914, to January 19th, 2000. Th culture back then was very similar to ours today. Expensive presidential campaigns, controversial military involvement overseas, prosperity, fast-moving technology, monopolies, immigration, natural disasters… Although we may not wear corsets, we are facing a technological revolution, and many of the issues and realities in Lamarr’s time are still with us today.
Lamarr was much more than just another pretty face. Earning a place among the 20th century’s most important women inventors, she shattered stereotypes. Lamarr truly was a visionary whose technological advancements were far ahead of its time.
