Do You Know Who Invented 3D Movies? Meet Valerie Thomas, the NASA Physicist Who Changed the World

When you sit in a movie theater and put on 3D glasses, or when you watch holographic images that seem to float in the air, do you ever stop to wonder: Who made this possible?

The answer is Valerie Thomas, a trailblazing NASA physicist, inventor, and visionary whose work helped create the foundation for 3D movies and modern imaging technology. Her story is not just about science — it’s about breaking barriers, inspiring generations, and proving the power of Black women in STEM fields.

Born in 1943 in Maryland, Valerie was curious about science from an early age. At a time when girls — especially Black girls — were rarely encouraged to dream of careers in physics, she followed her passion anyway. She studied at Morgan State University, where she was one of just two women majoring in physics, and in 1964 she stepped into history when she began working at NASA.

Her career at NASA was filled with innovation, but one discovery changed everything. In the late 1970s, she was fascinated by an illusion created by concave mirrors at a science exhibition. Unlike flat mirrors, these seemed to project images that floated in the air, almost like magic. Valerie began experimenting with the concept, determined to turn illusion into reality. By 1980, she secured a patent for what she called the Illusion Transmitter — a device that could project 3D images into space.

Think about what that means. Without Valerie Thomas, the 3D movies we watch today, many advances in medical imaging, and even certain space research technologies might not exist in the way we know them. Her work brought depth and dimension not only to pictures, but to entire industries.

And yet, how often do we hear her name? Her invention sits quietly behind some of the most exciting experiences in modern technology, but Valerie Thomas’s story is rarely told in classrooms or celebrated in the media. She worked for more than three decades at NASA before retiring in 1995, breaking barriers at every step while inspiring new generations of scientists.

Her legacy is one of courage and imagination. She showed that brilliance knows no limits of race or gender. She proved that a Black woman from Maryland could change how the whole world sees. Today, as we enjoy 3D films or marvel at holographic projections, we are witnessing Valerie Thomas’s genius in action — even if her name isn’t always spoken.

She deserves that recognition. She deserves the credit. And she deserves to be remembered as more than the woman who invented 3D imaging. Valerie Thomas gave us a new way to look at the world, and in doing so, she gave us a new way to dream.