Hedy Lamarr co-invented a frequency-hopping spread spectrum communication system with composer George Antheil during World War II. Though originally meant to help torpedoes avoid jamming, the concept became foundational for modern wireless tech like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. She was largely dismissed by the male dominated scientific community who, like the general public, found it impossible to believe that one of Hollywood’s most beautiful and famous stars of the 1930s–50s could be responsible for serious scientific achievement. Throughout history, many women in science have been overlooked or erased. Lamarr's case is a textbook example—her invention didn’t get serious attention or recognition until the late 1990s, decades after the technology had become vital to modern communication.