The inspiration was partly personal: Ahmed has spanned multiple fields in his career to date. One of the most detailed examinations of the subject comes from Waqas Ahmed in his book The Polymath, published earlier this year. Most researchers argue that to be a true polymath you need some kind of formal acclaim in at least two apparently unrelated domains. The term has its roots in Ancient Greek and was first used in the early 17th Century to mean a person with “many learnings”, but there is no easy way to decide how advanced those learnings must be and in how many disciplines. It may seem a surprising origin for ground-breaking technology, but the story of Lamarr and Antheil fits perfectly with a growing understanding of the polymathic mind.Įven the definition of “polymath” is the subject of debate. The result was a method of signal transmission called ‘frequency-hopping spread spectrum’ ( patented under Lamarr’s married name, Markey) that is still used in much of today’s wireless technology. And when the pair realised that enemy forces were jamming the Allied radio signals, they set about looking for a solution. Lamarr met a kindred spirit in George Antheil, however – an avant-garde pianist, composer and novelist who also had an interest in engineering. (She had previously designed more streamlined aeroplanes for a lover, the aviation tycoon Howard Hughes.)
Few of her contemporaries knew that her other great passion was inventing. In the late 1930s and early 40s, Hedy Lamarr was already the toast of Hollywood, famed for her portrayals of femme fatales. If it weren’t for an actress and a pianist, GPS and WiFi might not exist.
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