Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr was an extremely multi-faceted woman. Lamarr was born in Vienna, Austria on November 9, 1914 and eventually made her way to the United States. She became a highly prominent actress in Hollywood during the 1930’s and appeared in a variety of successful films. Lamarr was beloved in Hollywood and surely served as a role model for many young actresses. However, acting was not the only field Lamarr made a significant impact on, as she also had a large impact on the STEM field. She was so impactful in this field that her inventions actually contributed to the creation of WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

During the 1940’s, the world was engaged in one of the most horrible wars in its history, World War II. Once the United States entered the war, they became engaged in constant conflict with Japan and Nazi Germany. One major problem that the United States was facing was the hacking being done by the Nazis. They were interfering with American radio waves, which was a major national security threat. So how does Hedy Lamarr come into this? She actually invented something called frequency hopping, which was a way of switching between radio frequencies to prevent a third party from interfering with your signal. Lamarr received a patent for her invention in August 1942, and then donated it to the U.S. military to help fight their enemies.

Although Lamarr was the sole inventor of frequency hopping, it took decades for her to receive any credit for her amazing contribution not only to STEM, but to the United States’ success in World War II. Unfortunately, Lamarr is not the only woman who has struggled to gain recognition for her work in STEM. It is extremely important for young girls to learn about these amazing women in STEM to break down the stereotype that girls can’t be interested in STEM. Lamarr was able to show the world that she was more than just a pretty face and undoubtedly saved lives with her contribution during World War II. Without her inventions, we would not be able to enjoy the luxuries of WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. She has contributed massively to the way we live our lives today, and it is important to acknowledge her work not only in film, but also in STEM.

Author: Ana Paula Ibarraran