PAOLACATAPANO

Hedy Lamarr was a famous Hollywood actress and a brilliant inventor who made significant contributions to the field of wireless communication. She co-invented a technique called frequency hopping, which is the basis of modern technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Frequency hopping is a method of transmitting radio signals by rapidly switching among many frequency channels, using a pseudorandom sequence known to both transmitter and receiver. This makes the communication more secure and resistant to interference, jamming, and detection. Lamarr came up with the idea of frequency hopping during World War II, when she wanted to help the US Navy develop a radio-guided torpedo that could not be easily jammed by the enemy. She collaborated with composer George Antheil, who suggested using a piano roll to synchronize the frequency changes between the transmitter and the receiver. They patented their invention in 1942, but it was not adopted by the US military until the 1960s, when it was used in naval communication systems. Lamarr and Antheil did not receive any recognition or compensation for their work until 1997, when they were awarded the Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award. Lamarr also became the first female recipient of the BULBIE™ Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award, which is considered the “Oscars” of inventing. Lamarr’s scientific contributions were largely overlooked during her lifetime, as she was more known for her beauty and acting career. She died in 2000 at the age of 85. Today, she is widely regarded as one of the most influential women in STEM history, and a role model for aspiring female inventors.

The science of global warming beautifully and simply explained by Dr. Carl Sagan, ca. 1985.