Abby Connolly
Did you know that the person who inspired the technology behind WiFi and Bluetooth systems was an actress?
Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress born in 1914. She grew up in Vienna, Austria, and was very close to her father, Emil Kiesler.
He often encouraged Hedy to be a thinker and taught her about mechanical concepts, such as how certain machines work.
She also showed an interest in the performing arts at a young age. By the time she was 16, Hedy was discovered by film director Max Reinhardt who cast her in her first film, Geld auf der Strasse or “Money On The Street.”
This movie excelled her career in German films, and she starred in another production entitled Exstase or “Ecstasy.” It was this work that caught the attention of filmmakers in Hollywood.
Because of her incredible beauty and grace, Hedy was quickly signed to MGM Studios and became very popular in America. She started to land roles opposite some of the biggest stars at that time and starred in various popular films.
Although she was a total Hollywood star, her love for inventing, math, and science never died. She eventually met Howard Hughes, an American businessman and pilot who encouraged her to keep inventing.
He even gifted her small equipment sets so that she could keep working in her trailers whenever she wasn’t shooting a film.
After creating a series of small innovations, Hedy created something that became a cornerstone of modern technology. In 1940, she met writer, musician, and innovator George Antheil.
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