brandonApr 13, 2025
Sheril Kirshenbaum

Born in 1914, Hedy Lamarr was a famous American actress who pioneered the technology that would lead to WiFi, GPS, cell phones & Bluetooth communication.

Lamarr was brilliant. Among many fascinating inventions, she developed a new communication system with composer George Antheil that used “frequency hopping” among radio waves.

Once called the “most beautiful woman in the world," Lamarr is now remembered as "the mother of Wi-Fi."

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/thank-world-war-ii-era-film-star-your-wi-fi-180971584/ #science #history

Thank This World War II-Era Film Star for Your Wi-Fi

As the National Portrait Gallery acquires a film poster of Hedy Lamarr, it’s worth reflecting on her double life as an actress and a pioneering inventor

Smithsonian Magazine
Apr 12, 2025 at 10:15pmMetatext
Show threadAlexanderVIApr 12, 2025
@Sheril AKA Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, she was Austrian until 1938, IIRC.
Show threadMassimiliano SiddiApr 12, 2025
@Sheril Frequency hopping was invented during WW II and initially had a military application, for instance in the guidance system of torpedos. Frequency hopping prevented the guidance system to be jammed by the axis powers, as it was rendered impossible to “guess” the right frequency. So Hedy #Lamarr was also a war hero - although unaknowledged because her work had to be kept top secret during the war.
Show threadPicardApr 12, 2025
@realbloginista @Sheril
Would she be able to do the same under your current administration?
Show threadMassimiliano SiddiApr 12, 2025
@picard ❓
@Sheril
Show threadPicardApr 12, 2025
@realbloginista @Sheril
Trump cuts on funding for research. +She is a woman. +She is an immigrant = No probably, we won't see another wifi-mother in the US for the next 4 years.
Show threadMassimiliano SiddiApr 12, 2025
@picard Why are you telling me this? Do you think that being US-American turns Sheril automatically into a Trumper or what exactly are you implying?
@Sheril
Show threadSheldonApr 13, 2025

@realbloginista it definitely sounded a bit presumptuous and barbed, but maybe it was just a poorly phrased effort to commiserate about the dark cloud hanging over North America right now.

@picard @Sheril

Show threadᴮᵉⁿ ᴿᵒʸᶜᵉVOTE IN THE PRIMARIESApr 13, 2025

@picard @realbloginista @Sheril

Massimiliano is italian german, i am assuming in cologne, based on their handle

so why are you going after Massimiliano on the topic of american fascism?

on that topic, i am american

and i agree with you on everything you're saying

however, the top post is an argument against trump fascism. so we want to accentuate the positive like Sheril is doing up top, not wallow in negativity and defeatism

Show threadWendiGoose 🇺🇦Apr 13, 2025
@picard @realbloginista @Sheril Obviously not. Why would you even ask, knowing that America is undergoing a misogynistic, fascistic talent purge?
Show threadJargogglesApr 13, 2025
@picard @realbloginista @Sheril
She fled Austria in 1937. I don't think she would have been all that interested in doing that kind of work in the current US regardless of whether or not we would let her.
Show threadDouglas Edwards Apr 13, 2025
@realbloginista @Sheril They also failed to acknowledge her contribution long after wartime secrecy was no longer necessary. She was — justifiably! — quite bitter about it. Only much later was her work given the recognition it deserved.
Show threadRobin BartonApr 12, 2025
@Sheril Born in Austria and had an early career in Europe
Show threadRedAlert (Michael)Apr 12, 2025

@Sheril

#keinvergessen
#KämpfenBeginntMitErinnern
#niewiederfaschismus

#niewiederistjetzt ‼️

#AllezusammengegendenFaschismus
#afdverbotsverfahrenjetzt
#stopptDieBrandstifter
#WirSindDieBrandmauer

Show threadmoon77Apr 12, 2025
@Sheril the queen 👑
Show threadChrisApr 12, 2025
@Sheril Yes but a woman back in her time. so sad! But impressive.
Show threadChukwuemekaApr 12, 2025
@Sheril Nice
Show threadDraken BlackKnightApr 13, 2025
@Sheril
Show threadWulfy—Speaker to the machinesApr 13, 2025

@Sheril

I called one of my servers LAMARR a while ago.

Show threadCanadian CroneApr 13, 2025
@Sheril I’m sure she was a #DEI hire
Show threadDavid PApr 13, 2025

@Sheril

There's a doco about her:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombshell:_The_Hedy_Lamarr_Story

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story - Wikipedia

Show threadJumping MouseApr 13, 2025
Forgive me…
Show threadcliffordheathApr 13, 2025
@Sheril Hedy Lamarr was awesome, but WiFi does not use frequency hopping (though BT does). Americans like to claim WiFi because they can't bear to admit it wasn't invented by them, but by Australians.
Show threadsarcoptus scabiumApr 13, 2025
@cliffordheath @Sheril yet another crime for which my people will be judged.
Show threadPetraApr 13, 2025
@Sheril
Show threadMegatronicThronBanksApr 13, 2025
@Sheril This is highly inaccurate but she should definitely be remembered.
Show threadDormouseApr 13, 2025
@Sheril there is only one hedy!
Show threadJoe Hill 🇵🇸🇺🇦Apr 13, 2025

@Sheril
Someone needs to invent a “Decades” filter app for photographs. It would be interesting to see Hedy, Marilyn, Joan Crawford, etc how they would look in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s etc.

I wanna see Rave Hedy from the 2010’s.

Show threadltningApr 13, 2025
@Sheril How long until articles like these are taken down lest the publisher/museum loses funding and people are fired?

Hedy is awesome.
Show threada fading echoApr 13, 2025
@Sheril Blazing Saddles was a great film, in which she was not. ;)
Show threadLeti66 🇮🇹Apr 13, 2025
@Sheril After Her dead herr birthday Is National Science day in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. However She invented many things also when She was actress in California.
Show threadMohammadayaz AMIRIApr 15, 2025
@Sheril Hi, I am Mohammad Ayaz Amiri. I have the idea of building a social network and I need your help.+93779786578 whatsapp
Show threadhanktank61Apr 19, 2025
@Sheril I posted this before I think in another thread of you. Our Mom was German, Dutch in 1938. I was impressed by Marlene Dietrich in my youth. Still am, in fact. (Less in Greta Garbo).
Talking about that to her, she always mentioned Hedi Lamarr as her favorite. Never saw her in anything, probably to difficult for Dutch TV 1960 s .
Only later I learned about her other life.
I volunteer in a mixed team on a cultural public spot.
When talking about that I always show your promoting posts :)
Show threadxs4me2May 3, 2025

@Sheril

Truly a beautiful mind…

Show threadCheshire Lunar KittenMay 3, 2025
@Sheril i remember her from that gif where she walks to the camera...
Right?