By Rushell
Photo Source: Unsplash
We are now in the era where we treat the internet as a necessity more than a luxury. Now especially that we are minimizing our physical interactions due to the pandemic, the internet has helped us to continue our daily lives even in the confinement of our homes, from studying, working, shopping, or just simply having a good talk with our loved ones.
Access to the internet has never been easy, with the help of our Wi-Fi routers. With this, we can just open our e-mail or social media accounts wherever we are, as long as we have strong Wi-Fi coverage. But did you know that this technology traces its roots back to World War II?
This was called “Secret Communication System,” which employed “frequency hopping,” a technology that was developed for the radio communications to jump within the same frequency, to make sure that the enemies will not be able to detect it. The people behind this are Hedy Lamarr and George Anthiel. Aside from Wi-Fi, the wonders of “frequency hopping” are also applied to Bluetooth, GPS, cordless phones, and cell phones.
It’s amazing how this technology that dates back to the 1940s can still be of a great use. Who knows? Maybe the inventions today that seem to be applicable to specific uses only are actually the game-changers of the future.
Sources:
“Thank This World War II-Era Film Star for Your Wi-Fi”. Alice George. April 4, 2019.https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/thank-world-war-ii-era-film-star-your-wi-fi-180971584/
“Hedy Lamarr: The Incredible Mind Behind Secure WiFi, GPS And Bluetooth”. Shivaune Field. February 28,