49 - Pioneer Hedy Lamarr, Cool Ferns & The MET's Dodgy Purchase History

About this episode

The episode explores the stories of Hedy Lamarr's contributions to technology, the Victorian fern craze, and the MET's art purchase history.

Welcome back to WTF HQ for another Facts The Way I Like It! Gill is back in town from her round the world tour and frankly is bristling with more facts. This week Gill tells us of the mad craze that took hold of Victorian Britain and made everyone far too interested in ferns. Yes, ferns. She also tells us where the phrase "Being in the Limelight" comes from. Finally, she tells us how Kim Kardashian helped a priceless sarcophagus find its way home after a viral photo exposed the MET's somewhat mirky art purchase history. Pete weighs in this week with the story of Hedy Lamarr and how she and composer George Antheil developed an ingenious system to help the Second World War effort and prevent radio controlled torpedoes being intercepted by the enemy. Also, he tells us how that simple yet effective idea has become the bedrock of a vast array of modern technology and communications. He also shares the current runners and riders in the mid-21st century space race and the roadmap for the next humans to set foot on the moon and what it all might mean for human space endeavour overall. Finally, Pete has a few quick fire facts including Guy Fawkes' frankly useless ability to choose a…

People in this episode

Hosts: Gill Smith, Pete Moor

Topics covered

• Hedy Lamarr
• Victorian Britain
• space race
• art history
• technology

Keywords

• Hedy Lamarr
• Victorian ferns
• MET
• space race
• sarcophagus
• technology
• art history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MET

Books & works: sarcophagus

Places: Victorian Britain

More episodes of What The Factual? / Facts The Way I Like It!

• 54 - Facts The Way I Like Christmas (A WTF? Flashback!) · December 19, 2025 · 35 min
• 53 - Mária Telkes, Pet Ocelots, and Agatha Christie's New Life · December 12, 2025 · 32 min
• 52 - Stuart Little's Stolen Artwork, Clouting & Being Caught by a Sandwich · December 5, 2025 · 27 min
• 51 - The Waggle Dance, The Gherkin Headstone & a Trippy Bicycle Ride · November 28, 2025 · 39 min
• 50 - Woolly Backs, Elbows on Tables and Dumping by Calling Card · November 21, 2025 · 33 min
• 48 - VHS Nostalgia, A Rediscovered Composer & The maddest Romance in the Ocean with Guest Host Karen Hassan · November 7, 2025 · 46 min