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THE FACE THAT LAUNCHED A MILLION ---- Wi-Fi!

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Contributed by: Dave Hughes on 6/23/2008

Last year in one of my first postings on the Hub, I wrote the story on the question "Guess Who Invented Wi-Fi?"

To the astonishment of the more than 2,000 Hub users who accessed that piece, it turned out to be Hedy Lamarr - the 1940's actress who was called "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World"!

Yep, she invented, in 1941 by US Patent an advanced technologically secure radio protocol callled "Frequency Hopping." It became the classified basis of secure mllitary radio communications for the next 40 years, and evolved only in the past 20 years to unclassified cordless phones, Wi-Fi, GPS, and secure cell phone traffic. If you haven't you should first read that hub piece. You can even see the Patent there. Click here and come back.

WHO INVENTED WI-FI?

Now there seems to be a resurgence in interest about Hedy, spurred by a number of radio, screen, and even live stage productions! Now if you have a speaker on your computer or earphones, you should next listen to this 9 minute Public Radio Program "Studio360" who interviewed me and, together with four other voices, told the story with surprising findings. It ran nationally this weekend.

Locally it was on KRCC. But here it is - a very clear voice mp3 audio file that is stored on my server. Click here on '9 Minute' if you can listen over the Internet.

A 9 MINUTE AUDIO STORY OF HEDY'S INVENTION

Now for you who already knew the stories above, let me, with the help of the 10 pictures I have uploaded here also - give you even MORE background of what her Invention meant for WWII National Security.

There is George Anthiel who was her co- inventor by Patent in 1941. The technology was also called "Spread Spectrum' - losts of secure radio traffice in the same 'spread' of spectrum at the same time. Which permitted UNLICENSED radio -which is Wi-Fi.

Then the rate pictures of her as a little girl in Austira. Then, with her husband Fritz Mandel who sold to the Germans. Then her travelling to the US, and then when, in 1990 she was in her 80s when I nominated her for a national Technical Award - which she got. As well as the Austrian Academy of Sciences Kaplan Award - when she was 82!

Finally pictures of two girls in Hoxie, Kansas - population 1,200 who were so inspired by the story of Hedy Lamarr, they won a state competiion for their Science History Display and Tutotiorial on Frequency Hopping and Hedy Lamarr.

Having had MY brain picked by them as they were researching I immediately recognized that they were budding scientists themselves, and they got the Lesson I was showing everyone "Just because you are beautiful doesn't mean you can't have brains!"

A Broadway Play was staged last year all about Hedy and her Invention, and it was improbably named "Frequency Hopping!' Probably the FIRST Broadway play named after a highly technical protocol! It won a stage Award.

And I have been a Technical Advisor to a Screen Play called "Face Value" by Gretchen Somerfield and sponsored by the Tribecca Screen Festival.

So the beat goes on. Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World who invented a very advanced wireless Technology used in War and Peace, is a perennial story.

Besides, when I was 13 and she was about 24 I was in love with her!

If I get around to it I will convert ANOTHER movie about her, which I am in, named 'Calling Hedy Lamarr' which cleverly by special effects displays her in clips from movies long ago and 'patches in' her voice over the telephone as if we are all right with her real time! I might upload it as a Video!

(In fact here is a quick link to an NPR Video 'Science Friday' program that ran Saturday while Ira Flatow interviews the director of the Stage Play 'Frequency Hopping' that is running today in New York - about Hedy Lamarr, George Antheil and their incredible invention. Click here and on the video window that comes up and see/hear the first half of the interview!

NPR SCIENCE FRIDAY WITH IRA FLATOW

Ironically Elyse Singer says her inspiration for the play came when, in 1997 she heard an NPR Saturday morning "Weekend Edition' radio program " and some guy was telling about Hedy and being put for the first time ever as a Hollywood Star in "Invention and Technology" Magazine. I was the guy being intererviewed. I still have the audio tape and a copy of that magazine!

Hedy inspired many people!

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CONTRIBUTOR INFO

Dave Hughes

Colorado Springs , CO

Dave Hughes has posted 91 stories and 89 comments since joining on 3/1/2007. Dave Hughes 's average story rating is 4.9.

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