From Our Inbox: Forgotten Electrical Engineer’s Work Paved the Way for Radar Technology
Feb 1, 2024
auto_awesome
Sallie Pero Mead, a forgotten electrical engineer, played a crucial role in developing radar technology during World War II. By developing and testing hollow metal tubes as waveguides, her team discovered a new way for hyperfrequency waves to propagate, paving the way for radar technology. The podcast uncovers Sally's educational background and discusses the applications of radar technology today. The importance of collaboration and ongoing research into forgotten female scientists is also highlighted.
Sally Pero-Mead made a groundbreaking discovery in the 1930s, finding a way to propagate waves in waveguides that decreased attenuation as frequency increased, revolutionizing radar technology.
Sally Pero-Mead faced challenges as a woman in a male-dominated field but recognized her potential for more significant contributions, becoming an applied mathematician and electrical engineer at AT&T.
Deep dives
Sally Pero-Mead: Pioneering Radar Technology
Sally Pero-Mead, an electrical engineer and mathematician, played a significant role in the development of radar technology. She worked at AT&T and was instrumental in designing waveguides, which are hollow metal tubes that guide electromagnetic waves. Sally and her team made a groundbreaking discovery in the 1930s, finding a way to propagate waves in waveguides that decreased attenuation as frequency increased, making them ideal for high-frequency radar systems. This discovery revolutionized communication and had significant applications during World War II. Today, waveguides developed by Sally are still used in modern radar technology.
Sally Pero-Mead: A Woman Crossing Into Engineering
Sally Pero-Mead faced challenges as a woman in a male-dominated field during her career. Despite the prevailing notion that women were suitable as human computers, Sally recognized her potential for more significant contributions. After graduating with a master's degree in mathematics from Columbia, she joined AT&T as a computer. However, her talents and passion for math led her to become an applied mathematician and electrical engineer. Working in AT&T's Transmission Engineering unit, Sally collaborated with engineers and conducted experiments to analyze the properties of waveguides, ultimately making critical advancements in radar technology.
The Legacy of Sally Pero-Mead
Sally Pero-Mead's contributions to radar technology and waveguide design continue to impact various industries. Waveguides developed by Sally are still in use today, both in military applications and in areas such as weather detection, satellite communication, air traffic control, and ship navigation. Despite her accomplishments, Sally's recognition within her field remains limited. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of collaborative efforts in scientific breakthroughs and the need to acknowledge the contributions of overlooked female scientists. Greg Coxen and William Halapek, professionals in the field, are engaged in further research to shed light on the work of other overlooked women in science.
Sallie Pero Mead was first hired at AT&T in 1915 as a “computer”—a human calculator—shortly after completing her master’s degree in mathematics at Columbia University. Before long she started working on the company’s transmission engineering team as both a mathematician and an electrical engineer. She and her team developed and tested hollow metal tubes used as waveguides: structures that confine and direct electromagnetic waves. In 1933 they discovered a new way that hyperfrequency waves could propagate down these tubes, and this made radar technology possible—just in time for use in World War II.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode