Trivia Time: Which US Actress Helped Revolutionize Weapon Systems and Assisted in Creating Cell-Phone Technology?
FILED UNDER: News. Tech, People.
Answer: Hedy Lamarr,who appeared in numerous movies throughout the 1930s and 40s, including such classics as Boom Town, White Cargo and Tortilla Flat. What isn't so well known is Hedy's co-invention of the Frequency-Hopped Spread Spectrum, something that was hoped would be used to make radio-guided torpedoes nearly impossible to detect. Unfortunately, the idea was ahead of its time and impractical due to the state of technology in the 40s.
It wasn't until 1962 that Hedy's invention was put to use by U.S. ships during the blockade of Cuba. Unfortunately, the patent had expired by this time and Hedy never saw a penny from her work, despite the fact her spectrum invention is used in current cell-phone technology and WiFi networks.
In honor of Hedy Lamarr, a new play is currently showing in New York called Frequency Hopping, which has a musical score performed by an army of 25 robots. The play runs until June 29th at the 3LD Art & Technology Center.
Read More (Source: Scientific American)
