Monday, November 9, 2015

HOLLYWOOD ICON HEDY LAMARR WOULD BE 101 TODAY ... WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU AND ME


Hedy Lamarr, Austrian film icon from Hollywood's Golden Age, would be 101 years old today. Lamarr is best known for her starring roles in Algiers (with Spencer Tracy), Comrade X (with Clark Gable), John Steinbeck's Tortilla Flat (with John Garfield), and Samson and Delilah (with Victor Mature).

What many don't know about Hedy Lamarr is that she was also a mathematician and inventor of the first order. Specifically, inspired by her anti-Nazism, she was the co-creator of a frequency-hopping system that's an integral part of much of the communication technology we use today, including GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi networks, and CDMA (used in cordless/wireless phones). Lamarr's earlier inventions included technology that improved the traffic stoplight and a tablet that dissolved in water to create a carbonated drink.

There's more to Lamarr's story, which you can access in these articles from C/NET, Finding Dulcinea, and NPR.

- Mark

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