In our technology-dominated world, it’s easy to forget the human minds that gave birth to the gadgets and digital devices that pervade everyday life. And the women behind those innovations are often the first to be forgotten.
Whether you realize it or not, you have women inventors to thank for many of the technologies we depend on. His inventions help you surf the Internet, get from point A to point B, keep your home secure, and much more. Here are six women whose contributions to science and technology helped shape our modern world.
1. Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000), “Mother of WiFi”
Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Kiesler, was a Hollywood actress best known for her role in the romantic Biblical drama. Samson and DelilahBehind the scenes of his illustrious acting career, Lamar nurtured a passion for inventing,
Lamar also worked on his inventions during his leisure hours and between work on the set, using a small set of tools he kept in his trailer. In 1940, Lamar met American pianist, composer and inventor George Antheil. The two connected over their growing concerns about World War II and began brainstorming new technologies that could help America fight the Axis powers.
Lammers and Antheil designed a new communications system to guide the torpedoes to their targets. This system involved “frequency hopping” – jumping between different frequencies of radio waves – in which both the transmitter and receiver simultaneously jumped to new frequencies. This prevented interception of radio waves, thus helping the torpedo locate its intended target.
Their frequency hopping technology later gave way to WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth. After his death in 2000, Lamar was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his achievement. Today, she is known as the “Mother of WiFi”.
2. Grace Murray Hopper (1906–1992), programming pioneer
Grace Murray Hopper was a mathematician and naval officer best known today for her pioneering work in computer programming. After receiving her commission as lieutenant (junior grade), Hopper was assigned to the Bureau of Ships Computation Project at Harvard University, where she joined a team working on the Harvard Mark 1 computer.
This giant electromechanical computer, built by IBM in the 1940s, was the first in the US. Under the leadership of Howard Aiken, who developed the Mark 1, Hopper and his colleagues demonstrated calculated rocket trajectories, created range tables for new anti-aircraft guns, and calibrated minesweepers to aid the war effort. Hopper also wrote a more than 500-page manual for the MARK 1.
According to Yale University, when World War II ended, Hopper turned down a professorship at Vassar College to focus on programming. While working on the first commercial electronic computer—the UNIVAC I—in the early 1950s, he pioneered the idea of automatic programming and developed the first computer compiler, paving the way for modern programming languages.
In 1953, Hopper began developing an English-language compiler to allow people to write programs in words instead of symbols. His work continued to propel computing into the modern era in the late 20th century and lay the foundation for today’s software and programming languages.
3.Stephanie L. Kwolek (1923–2014), manufacturer of Kevlar
Have you ever heard of Kevlar? Even if you haven’t, chances are you’ve probably used it. This synthetic fiber is used in protective outerwear such as jackets and gloves, luggage, workout equipment, consumer electronics, bulletproof jackets and more. It is lightweight, heat resistant, highly durable and five times stronger than steel.
The woman behind this versatile material is an American chemist, Stephanie L. Kwolek, who got his start as a polymer researcher at DuPont. A few decades into his career, DuPont tasked him with developing the next generation of fibers capable of withstanding extreme conditions. Kwolek got the job of preparing the intermediates, synthesizing high molecular weight aromatic polyamides, dissolving them in solvents, and converting the solutions into fibers.
Under certain conditions, a large number of rod-shaped polyamide molecules arrange themselves in parallel lines. The resulting solutions were unlike any polymer solutions previously synthesized in the laboratory, and Kwolek found that she could transform them into the strong, stiff fibers known today as Kevlar.
4. Mary Anderson (1866–1953), inventor of the windshield wiper
Next time you’re driving in bad weather, say thanks to Mary Anderson, inventor of the windshield wiper. Anderson—an American real estate developer with no professional background in science or engineering—came up with the idea while riding a trolley car through New York City on a snowy day.
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to observe, its driver kept the windows down and occasionally stopped to wipe snow and ice off the windshield with his hands. In the early 20th century, reduced visibility due to precipitation was a problem that drivers readily accepted and learned to deal with. Anderson felt there had to be a better way.
He designed a spring-loaded arm with a rubber blade that could be attached to the base of the windshield. When activated via a lever inside the car, the arm would move across the glass, and remove rain, snow or ice. Others had designed similar devices before, but Anderson’s was the first device that worked. He patented it in 1903 and his original design is still in use today.
5. Mary Van Britton Brown (1922–1999), creator of CCTV security systems
Inventor Mary Van Britton Brown is best known for creating the first closed-circuit television (CCTV) security system, leading to the development of modern security systems protecting homes, banks, offices, and businesses today.
Brown began her career as a nurse, living and working in Queens, New York. Her husband, Albert Brown, worked as an electronics technician. They both worked irregular hours, and Brown often found herself alone at night. Feeling unsafe, she began devising a way to see who was at her door without even opening it.
According to MIT, she and her husband invented a security system that included four peepholes, a sliding camera, television monitors, and two-way microphones. This was the first CCTV security system.
With microphones, Brown could communicate with people outside, and four peepholes and sliding cameras allowed the system to capture images of people at different heights. He also invented a remote that allowed him to open a door from a safe distance and a panic button that alerted the police to an intruder. Brown patented the technology in 1969, and the invention was ultimately cited in 32 subsequent patent applications.
6. Gladys B. West (born 1930) laid the foundation of GPS
The Global Positioning System, or GPS, plays a ubiquitous role in modern life. Apart from helping you get from one place to another, this satellite-based navigation system is used in various fields including logistics, construction, defence, emergency services and much more.
Mathematician Gladys B. West played an integral role in developing this technology. He began his career in 1956 as a computer programmer at the Naval Proving Ground in Virginia – today known as Naval Support Facility Dahlgren.
During his 42 years of service, he worked on complex algorithms that could account for variations in gravitational, tidal and other forces that distort the Earth’s shape. He programmed an IBM 7030 computer to create a highly accurate model of the Earth’s shape, which was later adapted to the GPS orbit used by satellites.
West’s contributions to satellite geodesy and other satellite measurements improved the accuracy of GPS. Without her work this technology would not be what it is today, but ironically she told Atlanta Black Star in 2018 that she still prefers a paper map while driving.