Wow. I knew nothing about Hedy Lamarr except that she was a famous movie star back in the day. Having looked her up, I’m amazed no-one has a made a biopic of her life.
– escapes abusive husband who had Mussolini and Hitler over for dinner
– after a chance meeting with Louis B Mayer becomes a big Hollywood film star
– invents a frequency hopping technology to avoid jamming of allied radio signals during world war two that is a major part of modern technology
– after film career ends, gets busted for shoplifting because she is broke
– failed attempt to make movie comeback
– becomes obsessed with losing her looks and overdoes it with plastic surgery
– lives decades in seclusion communicating only by telephone
It’s like equal parts Greta Garbo, Alan Turing and Howard Hughes.
She didn’t really invent the WiFi, though. She co-authored a slightly bonkers patent that never led to any actual implementation. Spread spectrum was already well-understood and there were several actual applications including in the US military (secretly).
It’s really well-done, yes?
I read Hedy’s Folly a number of years ago. It was a wonderful biography.
“HEDLEY!”
Wow. I knew nothing about Hedy Lamarr except that she was a famous movie star back in the day. Having looked her up, I’m amazed no-one has a made a biopic of her life.
– escapes abusive husband who had Mussolini and Hitler over for dinner
– after a chance meeting with Louis B Mayer becomes a big Hollywood film star
– invents a frequency hopping technology to avoid jamming of allied radio signals during world war two that is a major part of modern technology
– after film career ends, gets busted for shoplifting because she is broke
– failed attempt to make movie comeback
– becomes obsessed with losing her looks and overdoes it with plastic surgery
– lives decades in seclusion communicating only by telephone
It’s like equal parts Greta Garbo, Alan Turing and Howard Hughes.
God but she was beautiful.
She didn’t really invent the WiFi, though. She co-authored a slightly bonkers patent that never led to any actual implementation. Spread spectrum was already well-understood and there were several actual applications including in the US military (secretly).
@5 Pinkeen,
Agreed, another example of the numerous myths about inventors, inventions and scientific achievements.
She was indeed beautiful.