August 11, 2026: Known for the Wrong Thing

The world called her the most beautiful woman alive. It took fifty-five years for anyone to call her an inventor.On August 11, 1942, actress Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil were granted U.S. Patent No. 2,292,387 for a frequency-hopping "Secret Communication System," designed to keep Allied radio-guided torpedoes from being jammed by the enemy. The Navy rejected the invention and classified it for the remainder of the war, and the patent expired before either inventor ever saw a cent from it, even after the military quietly adopted a version of the same principle in 1962. The underlying idea eventually became foundational to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, technology billions of people now use every day without knowing where it started.This is bsnsHistory, the daily podcast about the moments when business quietly reshaped the world.Written and hosted by Ron Trucks. Research and editing by Rodney Russ. Sound design by Angela Cahoy. Music by Cody Martin and Soundstripe.For more daily business stories, visit www.bsnsDAILYpodcasts.com