Excellent phrase to begin, “Hollywood has always Trafficked…” What an Apt word that is, Trafficked. The imagery is exactly what it is, and I concur, " films do more than entertain; they teach us whom to trust, whom to credit, and what kind of mind counts as history." Today, social media does the same, with more precision and ubiquitous harm.
I am so pleased you’ve written about Lamarr’s creative and innovative mind. I first learned of Lamarr’s research accomplishments twenty years ago, when I was researching women innovators to teach. In the last ten years, she has been featured in women innovator books aimed for ten years old. My apologies, but I cannot recall specific titles right now, , but one ‘Wonder Women’, by Sam Maggs, does highlight several unknown women in STEM. As I tutored elementary and high school students, you can be certain my students are aware of Lamarr’s scientific achievement.
She has quite a way with words, doesn’t she, like , “Any girl can be glamorous, All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.” I was fortunate that I didn’t need to hide my intellect as a girl, or as a woman, but still, it is my looks that both men and women remarked on first, even today.
I so strongly resonate with that quote, “The brains of people are more interesting than the looks.” It is not physical body presence that innovates, but the curious mind who has a lust for learning that does. For me, it has been, and always will be, about the brain housed in a person’s body that fascinates me. That is who they truly are for therein lays the depth of their humanity, their essence and their spirit.
Thank you Wendy, I think I rewrote that sentence 12 times, trafficked was exactly the word I was digging for and when it came I knew it was so appropriate.
It's incredibly heartening to hear that you've been teaching about Lamarr's innovations for years. That's the real work of changing the narrative, making sure the next generation knows her as more than just a face on a screen. Thank you for doing that important work.
Your personal reflection is a powerful reminder that Lamarr's 'strange inheritance' is something many brilliant women still navigate today. It's the core of her story, and I completely agree with your final thought: it has always been, and always will be, about the fascinating mind housed inside the body. That's the essence.
She certainly had a way with words. She said about her marriage to the arms dealer - "I knew very soon that I could never be an actress while I was his wife. ... He was the absolute monarch in his marriage. ... I was like a doll. I was like a thing, some object of art which had to be guarded—and imprisoned—having no mind, no life of its own."
Her technical / scientific achievements are significant and it is good that she is wider known for these now.
I want to ensure that the Gen Alpha students I tutor know the unknown amazing and innovative men and women of the past. A few entered careers they'd never even considered before after hearing about one person, who inspired them to follow through and do it. There is a series called 'Little People, Big Ideas' for children around ten, and one of them features Hedy Lamarr. I can't attest to its authenticity, as I've not read it. But, in general, this series is good.
I smiled at your comment that you rewrote that sentence 12 times. I've experienced sitting in that struggle to find just the right word, or wording. Crafting sentences with precision, clarity and eloquence is an art; it matters, to me.
Well-done creative art necessitates years of patient diligent attention.
So, I deeply appreciate writing that demonstrate the writer's dedication to the art.
Perhaps soon, I will post a few unknown innovators, too ;)
I wish you’d done a little more research on her invention. She’s an alluring figure and obviously gifted, but she did not invent frequency hopping. she invented a frequency hopping mechanism that was impractical to operationalize at the time. Presenting its failure as resulting from sexism is a dishonest and lazy message to send bright young women. You would know this if you did any more than quoting the mass produced narrative.
And according to these sources the Navy had the choice of defeating the enemy and savings lots of lives or avoiding using a device designed by a woman and they chose the second one?
I don’t know why we’re so invested in lying to people when this can be easily verified as false. It’s really inspiring that scientifically literate actress and composer made a frequency hopping mechanism, but it wasn’t the first design, many other people put forward alternative designs, but the technology wasn’t mature enough to operationalize at scale until many years later. But it’s really easy for uninformed people to believe simple mistruths if they align with their preconceived notions. What’s unfortunate about this lie is that you’ve missed out on the opportunity to encourage persistence and expertise in a challenging field in favor of telling the myth that someone without much experience should be able to make one contribution and change the world.
I think that you missed my point, I clearly state it was a precursor - and then quote and link to Science Magazine about the suggested role that she take during the war selling bonds. Together with reputable biographies on her.
Excellent phrase to begin, “Hollywood has always Trafficked…” What an Apt word that is, Trafficked. The imagery is exactly what it is, and I concur, " films do more than entertain; they teach us whom to trust, whom to credit, and what kind of mind counts as history." Today, social media does the same, with more precision and ubiquitous harm.
I am so pleased you’ve written about Lamarr’s creative and innovative mind. I first learned of Lamarr’s research accomplishments twenty years ago, when I was researching women innovators to teach. In the last ten years, she has been featured in women innovator books aimed for ten years old. My apologies, but I cannot recall specific titles right now, , but one ‘Wonder Women’, by Sam Maggs, does highlight several unknown women in STEM. As I tutored elementary and high school students, you can be certain my students are aware of Lamarr’s scientific achievement.
She has quite a way with words, doesn’t she, like , “Any girl can be glamorous, All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.” I was fortunate that I didn’t need to hide my intellect as a girl, or as a woman, but still, it is my looks that both men and women remarked on first, even today.
I so strongly resonate with that quote, “The brains of people are more interesting than the looks.” It is not physical body presence that innovates, but the curious mind who has a lust for learning that does. For me, it has been, and always will be, about the brain housed in a person’s body that fascinates me. That is who they truly are for therein lays the depth of their humanity, their essence and their spirit.
Thank you Wendy, I think I rewrote that sentence 12 times, trafficked was exactly the word I was digging for and when it came I knew it was so appropriate.
It's incredibly heartening to hear that you've been teaching about Lamarr's innovations for years. That's the real work of changing the narrative, making sure the next generation knows her as more than just a face on a screen. Thank you for doing that important work.
Your personal reflection is a powerful reminder that Lamarr's 'strange inheritance' is something many brilliant women still navigate today. It's the core of her story, and I completely agree with your final thought: it has always been, and always will be, about the fascinating mind housed inside the body. That's the essence.
She certainly had a way with words. She said about her marriage to the arms dealer - "I knew very soon that I could never be an actress while I was his wife. ... He was the absolute monarch in his marriage. ... I was like a doll. I was like a thing, some object of art which had to be guarded—and imprisoned—having no mind, no life of its own."
Her technical / scientific achievements are significant and it is good that she is wider known for these now.
I want to ensure that the Gen Alpha students I tutor know the unknown amazing and innovative men and women of the past. A few entered careers they'd never even considered before after hearing about one person, who inspired them to follow through and do it. There is a series called 'Little People, Big Ideas' for children around ten, and one of them features Hedy Lamarr. I can't attest to its authenticity, as I've not read it. But, in general, this series is good.
I smiled at your comment that you rewrote that sentence 12 times. I've experienced sitting in that struggle to find just the right word, or wording. Crafting sentences with precision, clarity and eloquence is an art; it matters, to me.
Well-done creative art necessitates years of patient diligent attention.
So, I deeply appreciate writing that demonstrate the writer's dedication to the art.
Perhaps soon, I will post a few unknown innovators, too ;)
I wish you’d done a little more research on her invention. She’s an alluring figure and obviously gifted, but she did not invent frequency hopping. she invented a frequency hopping mechanism that was impractical to operationalize at the time. Presenting its failure as resulting from sexism is a dishonest and lazy message to send bright young women. You would know this if you did any more than quoting the mass produced narrative.
Interesting I based it on reading two biographies one which she in the end endorsed. And on her patent
And according to these sources the Navy had the choice of defeating the enemy and savings lots of lives or avoiding using a device designed by a woman and they chose the second one?
I don’t know why we’re so invested in lying to people when this can be easily verified as false. It’s really inspiring that scientifically literate actress and composer made a frequency hopping mechanism, but it wasn’t the first design, many other people put forward alternative designs, but the technology wasn’t mature enough to operationalize at scale until many years later. But it’s really easy for uninformed people to believe simple mistruths if they align with their preconceived notions. What’s unfortunate about this lie is that you’ve missed out on the opportunity to encourage persistence and expertise in a challenging field in favor of telling the myth that someone without much experience should be able to make one contribution and change the world.
I think that you missed my point, I clearly state it was a precursor - and then quote and link to Science Magazine about the suggested role that she take during the war selling bonds. Together with reputable biographies on her.
I also state that her biography was "grotesquely embellished."