How the 'most beautiful woman in the world' laid the foundation for Wi-Fi
Amidst the glitz and glamour of Hollywood in the 1940s, Hedy Lamarr, an Austrian-American actress and inventor, laid the groundwork for Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth technologies
Imagine a world without Wi-Fi. A world where every internet connection requires a cable, where coffee shops, airports, and even our homes are entangled with wires.
But thanks to the pioneering work of a brilliant woman, we did not have to end up in such a mess. This one person made sure our world remains connected wirelessly.
The story of Hedy Lamarr, the woman who laid the foundation of Wi-Fi, does not begin in a tech lab of the 21st century but amidst the turmoil of World War II.
In the early 1940s, amidst the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Lamarr, an Austrian-American actress and inventor, laid the groundwork for Wi-Fi, alongside GPS, and Bluetooth technologies.
Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna in 1914, Lamarr was interested in acting and was fascinated by theatre and film from an early age.
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Only at the age of 12, she won a beauty contest in Vienna, and her entrancing beauty and talent soon caught the eye of the film industry.
At the age of 18, her controversial role in the Czech film "Ecstasy" (1933), noted for its daring portrayal of sexuality, launched her to international fame.
In 1937, Lamarr emigrated to the US and soon became one of Hollywood's most sought-after actresses.
Recognising her potential, MGM mogul Louis B Mayer offered her a Hollywood contract, effectively launching her American film career. She changed her name to Hedy Lamarr, symbolising her new start in the United States.
In Hollywood, Lamarr quickly became a celebrated actress known for her striking appearance and depth of character. Over her career, she starred in around 30 films, working alongside other legendary actors like Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Jimmy Stewart.
Her most memorable performances include roles in "Algiers" (1938), "Ziegfeld Girl" (1941), and the biblical epic "Samson and Delilah" (1949).
How Lamarr laid the foundation of Wi-FI
Even though Lamarr was a brilliant actress, her interests extended far beyond film sets. She was a self-taught inventor, and her most significant contribution was the development of a technology known as 'frequency hopping'.
The concept of frequency hopping emerged from Lamarr's desire to aid the Allied Forces during World War II.
Aware of the limitations of radio-guided torpedoes, which were susceptible to jamming by enemy forces, Lamarr sought a solution.
Teaming up with American composer and inventor George Antheil, she developed a system that could change radio frequencies unpredictably, thereby preventing the interception or jamming of radio signals.
This invention, patented in 1942, was initially intended for military use, particularly in guiding torpedoes.
However, it was never utilised by the US Navy during World War II.
The full potential of this invention was recognised during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The US Navy first utilised a version of this technology for secure radio transmissions.
Lamarr's innovative approach to switching radio frequencies laid the foundation for the development of spread spectrum technology. This technology is at the heart of various forms of wireless communications that we rely on today, including Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi, which allows for the wireless exchange of data over short distances, has transformed how we access information and communicate, making the Internet more accessible and convenient.
Beyond her work in wireless communication, Lamarr's inventive mind never rested.
An article published by Digitaltrends suggests she even contributed ideas for improved traffic stoplights and a tablet that would dissolve in water to create a carbonated drink.
However, despite her monumental contribution to science and technology, Lamarr's legacy was overshadowed for decades by her Hollywood fame.
Known as "the most beautiful woman in the world," her scientific intellect was largely ignored. She didn't receive recognition for her technological contributions until the late 1990s, shortly before her death in 2000.
In 2014, Lamarr was posthumously inducted into America's National Inventors Hall of Fame for frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology.
On 9 November 2015, Google honoured her with a doodle on her 101st birth anniversary, and did so again on her 109th birth anniversary on 9 November 2023.
