The glamorous story of frequency-hopping hits the stage

The “Secret Communications System” technology she patented in 1941 with her co-inventor, the composer George Antheil, was developed during the Second World War to make it more difficult to jam the US Navy’s radio-guided torpedoes. 

Variations of the frequency-hopping technology are used in technologies like Bluetooth and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). The same method enables mobile phone users to share spectrum using code-division multiple access (CDMA).

I think she could have contributed a lot more

Heather Massie, Performer

As a journalist and analyst who spends their days covering spectrum affairs, it was fascinating to see how the relatively complex concept of spectrum use could be explored and explained through the medium of live theatre. Regulators, researchers and technology companies all have to grapple with communicating scientific discoveries, technologies and policies to new audiences.

For the show’s writer and performer, who studied astrophysics before leaning into theatre, science communication and performance go hand in hand.

“Good science communication does borrow from artists a lot,” Massie said. She has toured the show across the US and the rest of the world since 2016, including a Fulbright specialist tour to South Africa. The subject matter has allowed her to bring her work to a diverse range of audiences, from theatre festivals to science centres.

Though the show depicts Lamarr’s whole life, her role in developing frequency-hopping technology is at the heart of it. This early version was based on the operations of a player piano, which uses a paper roll inside the instrument to play a tune. The pair acknowledged this by setting up their Secret Communications System to switch between 88 different frequencies, just like the 88 keys of a piano. The patent was donated to the US Navy but wasn’t used until decades later.

Lamarr and Antheil’s invention may have been overlooked simply because she was a Hollywood actress and he was a composer. Lamarr has since received several awards for her scientific contributions, and her extraordinary background has made her one of the most memorable inventors in radiocommunications.

My mission is to inspire audiences to pursue their passions, and especially to encourage young women in science and technology

Heather Massie, Performer

“I think she could have contributed a lot more, having invested so much [in her patent] and it being dismissed,” Massie said. 

The world of radiocommunications remains a man’s world, though efforts to increase female participation are being made. At WRC-23The World Radiocommunication Conference (W… in Dubai last year, just 22 per cent of participants were women. It may have been the highest share in WRC history, but a similar participation gap would not be celebrated in other sectors. 

Massie hopes that by highlighting pioneers like Lamarr through art and entertainment, she can encourage a new generation of women into careers in science and technology. 

“My mission is to inspire audiences to pursue their passions, to encourage young women in science and technology and to establish Hedy Lamarr as a role model for intelligence, ingenuity and adventure,” Massie said.

The show will next be performed in Bulgaria and Australia.