In September 1921, a group of Russian white émigrés gathered at a border point in Seattle. They all crossed the border without issues, except for a young graduate of Moscow University, Sergei Shchelunov. He was short 25 dollars for the fee, having only 25 of the required 50. However, luck was on his side: his compatriots, moved by his situation, collected the missing amount. Thus, for 50 US dollars, one of the outstanding scientists in the field of telecommunications was acquired, and Russia lost him.

In America, Sergei Alexandrovich, a promising engineer, began working at Bell Laboratories, where he studied the propagation of electromagnetic waves. At that time, it was possible to transmit 800 phone conversations over a cable without loss of quality. Bell Laboratories aimed to create universal multi-channel lines with excellent signal transmission, and Shchelunov successfully solved this problem. By studying the theory of transverse waves, he proposed using a special coaxial cable, which allowed the number of phone calls to increase to 108,000. This cable could also transmit television images, marking a true scientific breakthrough. For nearly half a century, Sergei Alexandrovich's developments were used for signal transmission worldwide. Subsequently, based on his theory, a new type of cable, optical, was created, which also contributed to the development of high-speed internet.

Later, Shchelunov focused on modifying radio communication. His theory of waveguides of different configurations became the basis for modernizing the radar systems of the American army. It is no surprise that he was recruited as a consultant to the National Defense Research Committee of the USA. Before retiring, he held the position of Deputy Director of Mathematical Research at Bell Laboratories. The great inventor passed away in May 1992 at his home in New Jersey.