Dare to Think Differently

The following remarks were delivered to The Middle and Upper School Community during Opening Convocation:

Imagine a world without light bulbs, movies, WiFi or bluetooth. Hard to imagine, right? Well, thanks to two extraordinary inventors —Thomas Edison and Hedy Lamarr—we don't have to. Edison and Lamar weren’t just inventors; they turned seemingly impossible ideas into reality. They weren’t afraid to fail, and most importantly they were not afraid to think boldly in order to change the world.

While Thomas Edison and his team were credited with over 1,000 patents, his invention of the incandescent lightbulb is his most famous. While the concept of electric light had existed before Edison, early designs proved to be inefficient. Edison set out with a bold goal to create a long-lasting, affordable light source. 

 

Edison and his team conducted thousands of experiments with different materials to find the best filament that would burn bright and last long. After testing a variety of materials, including platinum and bamboo, Edison eventually discovered that a carbonized bamboo filament could last over 1,200 hours. His success was not a stroke of luck, but rather a demonstration of his persistence and the use of what we now call the creative design process.

 

Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood actress turned inventor,  co-developed a groundbreaking communication system during World War II. In collaboration with George Antheil, Lamarr created a "frequency-hopping" technology intended to prevent enemy forces from jamming radio-controlled torpedoes. Their system used rapidly changing frequencies to ensure secure military communications, a concept well ahead of its time.

 

Lamarr's invention laid the foundation for modern wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Though her work was not recognized until decades later, Lamarr's ingenuity and forward-thinking approach continue to have a profound impact on communication technologies. 

 

Edison and Lamarr’s bold thinking shaped the world we live in, and your bold ideas can do the same. Albert Einstein said "The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking."

As we embark on this new school year, let Edison and Lamarr’s stories remind you that great ideas come from daring to think differently. Don’t be afraid to take risks in order to make this your year to shine. How can you think boldly to make change, push the boundaries of your education, learn authentically, and create a more just and compassionate community? I very much look forward to seeing the results of all of your bold thinking throughout the year.