It is no secret that the Hispanic population in the US is highly underrepresented in tech. This unfortunate scenario is the result of a lack of resources and income – both factors, unfortunately, play a huge role in keeping the digital divide in America alive and well.
Despite these barriers, brilliant minds from the Hispanic community have made significant technological inventions that have helped numerous people; however, sadly have gone unnoticed. As a proud Hispanic individual, I feel compelled to share the stories and efforts of these inventors as well as their inventions with the world, bringing them the recognition they deserve.
By sharing their stories, I hope to inspire other Hispanic individuals with a passion for technology and let them know that it’s never too late to chase their dreams.
So, without further ado, let’s explore 4 of the greatest Hispanic tech inventors and their inventions.
-
Luis von Ahn: Inventor of CAPTCHA, reCAPTCHA, and Duolingo
Luis von Ahn is a computer scientist from Guatemala, the mind behind CAPTCHA, reCAPTCHA, and the Duolingo app.
If you don’t already know, CAPTCHA stands for Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart. This system requires users to solve a variety of puzzles to distinguish whether they’re human or robots. ReCAPTCHA is an extension of CAPTCHA that offers more advanced security and human-friendly features. The system levels up on CAPTCHA by incorporating real-world images and behavior analysis, making it more difficult for bots to bypass.
Luis also co-created Duolingo, a free online language learning platform that makes the process more fun and accessible. With just an internet connection, learners can enjoy gamified, personalized, and engaging ways to learn more than 40 languages from anywhere. These qualities have made Duolingo one of the most preferred forms of language learning around the world, heck, even I’m currently using it to learn French.
P.S. If you’re looking to start learning on Duolingo, you’ll need a fast and reliable internet plan. I’d recommend reaching out to Xfinity servicio al cliente en español to choose the best one from its high-speed internet plans.
With these technologies, Luis’s contributions extend from ensuring the online security of websites and users to helping billions of people across the world easily learn a wide range of languages.
-
Albert Baez: Inventor of the X-Ray Microscope
Albert Baez was a Mexican American physicist renowned for his significant contributions to helping create X-ray optics, X-ray telescopes, and last but not least, the X-ray reflection microscope. All of these inventions helped revolutionize and set a new standard in the medical imaging industry.
The X-ray reflection microscope was a major breakthrough for the industry. It allowed medical workers all over the world a convenient way to view living cells and internal organs in great detail. By providing them this ability, Albert Baez paved the way for further research in diagnostics, as well as biological and medical research.
The microscope is still used in medical practices today. However, it was not the end of Albert’s contributions to the industry. He also worked extensively on creating zone plates that use diffraction instead of refraction, and better focus X-rays. This innovation came into practice years later, when brighter, high-intensity, synchrotron X-ray sources were developed.
-
Angela Ruiz Robles: Inventor of E-Books
Angela Ruiz Robles was a Spanish teacher who invented the mechanical form of e-books, a device known as the Enciclopedia Mecánica. Her invention laid the foundation for e-books, a digital learning tool that we now take for granted.
The invention was way ahead of its time and provided students with a more convenient, interactive, and accessible way to learn. You could display and rotate through a wide variety of educational texts. This allowed students to view and carry multiple books in a unified, compact, and portable way. It also added a uniquely interactive element to learning, making the experience more engaging.
Unfortunately, at the time, her invention never got the recognition and acclaim it deserved. On the bright side, this changed years later, so better late than never, right? Today, her invention is considered one of the earliest developments that have helped shape digital learning into the billion-dollar industry that it is.
-
Domingo Liotta: Inventor of the Artificial Heart
Domingo Liotta was an Argentinian doctor who will always be remembered as the pioneer of heart surgery and the creator of the first-ever totally artificial heart. The artificial heart was then implanted into a patient by renowned American heart surgeon, Dr. Denton Cooley.
The birth of the artificial heart was huge, as it created a way to save numerous lives. In traditional processes, finding the right heart donor can take a while, which could prove fatal for patients suffering from severe heart failure. With the creation of the artificial heart, such patients could potentially wait for a suitable donor with the artificial heart implanted into them.
In addition to saving countless lives, this invention also helped pave the way for further research and development in the cardiac field. Domingo himself continued to work on ways to improve heart-supporting devices. While the artificial heart is the most well-known example of Domingo’s innovative capabilities, throughout his career, he also worked on developing other cardiac prostheses.
Hispanic Tech Inventors – Inspirations for Generations to Come
The stories and efforts of these inventors serve as inspiration for Hispanic people. They remind us that we have the potential to achieve whatever we put our hearts, minds, and souls into.
By sharing and paying our respects to these iconic individuals, we can inspire creators, innovators, and revolutionaries in multiple generations of Hispanic children to come.