STEM-inist Hedy Lamarr Mug by Melanie Green

STEM-inist Hedy Lamarr Mug by Melanie Green

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Hedy Lamarr, best known as a glamorous Hollywood actress, was also an inventor whose communications technology patent paved the way for Wi-Fi and GPS.
When the United States entered WWII, Hedy helped her adopted country in the fight against the Nazis. Together with the composer George Antheil, Hedy began work on a ‘Secret Communication System’ that relied on frequency-hopping (spread-spectrum technology) to unpredictably interchange the transmission of carrier waves. Hedy and George were awarded US Patent 22923878 in August 1942, and they immediately offered up the Communication System for governmental use. The patent expired after the war without Hedy’s knowledge and was ironically rediscovered during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s. It has since been cited over 60 times. 

Hedy could not have predicted the significance of her ideas at the time. She kept mum about her activities in the realm of science and technology. According to her obituary in the Los Angeles Times: ‘Lamarr never tried to promote her invention, considering it merely her contribution to the war effort.’ Spread-spectrum technology is still heavily in use by the military today and has had a major impact on the way we live our lives in a hyper-connected world. Thanks to Hedy Lamarr, we now enjoy Wi-Fi and GPS.

Whether you're drinking your morning coffee, evening tea, or something in between – this mug's for you! It's sturdy and glossy with a vivid print that'll withstand the microwave and dishwasher.

• Ceramic
• 11 oz mug dimensions: 3.85″ (9.8 cm) in height, 3.35″ (8.5 cm) in diameter
• 15 oz mug dimensions: 4.7″ (12 cm) in height, 3.35″ (8.5 cm) in diameter
• Dishwasher and microwave safe
• Blank product sourced from China