Overheard: Celebrity geeks

Movie star Hedy Lamarr is generally credited as co-originator of the idea of spread spectrum transmission. She and her pianist were issued a patent for the technique during World War II. From the whatis.com definition for frequency-hopping spread spectrum

Frequency hopping means broadcasting a signal over a series of radio frequencies, switching from frequency to frequency at split-second intervals. A receiver hopping between the same frequencies in sync with the transmitter can pick up the message, while eavesdroppers hear only random blips. It also is known as frequency- hopping code division multiple access.

Want to lean more about celebrity geeks? Check out Angela Gunn’s article Geek stars: The secret (nerdy) life of celebrities