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BBC News
08-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
The Vienna cemetery where endangered species and biodiversity thrive
In Vienna, Europe's second-largest cemetery has embraced biodiversity – without disturbing the dead. Some of the greats are here. Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms. As well as the Hollywood pin-up-turned-inventor Hedy Lamarr – oh, and Austrian rock icon Falco. This is their final resting place. But tread carefully through the Vienna Central Cemetery in the early hours of the morning and you might catch a glimpse of something moving between the weathered headstones. Not ghosts – but puffy-cheeked European hamsters. They're very much alive. These adorable mammals reside in the Park of Peace and Power on the northern side of the cemetery. Narrow trails on the ground reveal where they have been scurrying lately. Once considered a pest, the hamsters are now critically endangered in Europe. Urbanisation and industrial farming have decimated their habitat in recent decades, and should their population continue to decline, they are likely to be extinct by 2050 according to the IUCN Red List. For now, they're clinging on to life here – in Europe's second-biggest cemetery. As unlikely as it might seem, this place is a perfect home for them. The landscapers are careful not to disrupt their burrows, and visitors like to leave snacks for them. In winter, when their natural food supply runs low, the hamsters often pilfer candles from nearby graves to eat the oil-rich wax. Urban cemeteries are overlooked biodiversity hubs even though they are similarly valuable to urban parks in terms of species conservation. A 2019 review of graveyard biodiversity identified 140 protected species in cemeteries around the world, from the orchids of Turkish cemeteries to the increasingly scarce steppe vegetation found on burial mounds in Eurasia. As places of tranquillity with great cultural and spiritual importance to many, cemeteries have largely missed the effects of urbanisation that have taken place in their surrounding cities during recent centuries. As such, they represent refuges for local wildlife and can serve as stepping stone habitats – small patches of nature that animals use to migrate between larger natural areas. This is especially crucial in cities, where green spaces are shrinking and animal habitats are increasingly fragmented. The wild inhabitants of the vast Vienna Central Cemetery, which spans 2.4 sq km (0.9 sq miles), are watched over by Thomas Filek, researcher at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna. Walking across the meadow that has become home to the European hamsters, he points out their small burrows in the tall grass. "We've talked to the gardeners about working in a way that protects biodiversity, and not mowing everything is a big part of it," says Filek. "It's important to think in cycles – it starts with plants, they bring insects, the insects bring birds and so on." Filek has been documenting local biodiversity with the help of citizen scientists here since 2021 as part of a wider project called Biodiversity in the Cemetery (Biodiversität am Friedhof), which encompasses other graveyards around Austria. The project, based at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, receives over 3,000 sighting reports from citizen scientists across different cemeteries every year. Besides the hamsters, the Vienna Central Cemetery is also home to endangered species protected by the EU Habitats Directive including the European Green Toad, the Alpine Longhorn Beetle and the European Ground Squirrel. The Eurasian Hoopoe, which is common in Europe but locally endangered, has also made a home here. In total, Filek and his volunteers have counted more than 240 different animal and plant species here since the project started in 2021. Cemetery biodiversity is a niche field of study, with researchers often focusing on specific species or sections of a cemetery. This makes cross-country comparisons difficult. A citizen science project comes with its own blind spots, admits Filek: "People tend to notice animals that are big and fly around, less so the small stuff". To counter this, they work with university students who research overlooked areas, like the tiny critters that colonise dead wood, as part of their thesis project. The cemetery has been famous for its wildlife long before Filek started documenting it, and is a popular haunt for birdwatchers, wildlife photographers and nature lovers. On this windy spring day, the air is filled with birdsong as two playful squirrels chase each other across the graves and into a nearby tree. Lifting some wooden planks that have been purposefully stacked in the grass after a burial, Filek reveals a microcosm of small insects, bugs and snails. No deer, foxes or hares on this visit – they prefer to keep to themselves and often retreat to quieter sections of the cemetery during the day. Cemeteries are "a mosaic of different habitats," says Ingo Kowarik, an urban ecologist and retired professor at the Technische Universität Berlin who led one of the first comprehensive surveys of cemetery biodiversity at Berlin's Weißensee Jewish Cemetery in 2016. "This means that species from forests, hedgerows, grasslands and even fields can find substitute habitats there." Man-made features such as mausoleums, tombstones and walls may also support plants and animals that would, in the wild, colonise caves, rocks and cliff faces. However, such features can also confuse animals – a 2007 study of a Hungarian cemetery found that black gravestones attract dragonflies because their reflective surface resembles water. Poorly planned or maintained cemeteries can also be a source of soil and groundwater pollution, especially in countries where embalming and casket burials are common, while cremation contributes to air pollution. At the Vienna Central Cemetery, a meadow near the hamster's headquarters is reserved for natural burials, abutting the rows of more traditional graves, covered with stone slabs, ornamental flowers and those delicious candles. Nearby, there are patches of lush forest where final resting places are marked by towering trees and often frequented by deer. "There's an echo of the historical past," says Kowarik, referring to how cemeteries, in general, can preserve wildlife and habitats, even as cities grow up around them. It was while working as a freshly qualified biology teacher that Filek decided to look more closely at the wildlife in his city. "Very few of us will ever make it to Borneo to see the orangutans," he says. "I wanted to show my students what can be done here." More like this:• The surprising benefits of rattlesnakes• Why people are 'meadowscaping' their lawns• When eight people were sealed in a 'mini Earth' Initially, however, Filek couldn't find much information about which species were present in the Central Cemetery. That changed thanks to a conversation with Florian Ivanič, a landscape gardener who has worked at the cemetery since 1982. Ivanič led efforts to turn 10 acres (40,000 sq miles) of unused land in the cemetery into a nature garden in 2011. There, plants and animals are left to their own devices as much as possible, with rockeries, ponds and piles of dead wood providing additional microhabitats. "It was important to me that we have something just for the animals," says Ivanič. "Parks are easy to set up, a landscape architect plans it and then you just mow it. But parks alone are not enough – we need to leave something to nature." Filek was immediately impressed with Ivanič's knowledge. "He knows the cemetery like the back of his hand, he really treasures it," Filek says. "I told him I had this idea for a project highlighting cemeteries as biodiversity hotspots, and he was very supportive." Filek has worked with the Central Cemetery staff to expand the focus on biodiversity beyond the nature garden. This has involved installing nesting boxes and feeders for birds as well as designating some areas for dead wood and rockeries. Elsewhere, patches of grass are left to grow tall and go to seed. Such measures could be implemented by any cemetery, says Filek. "You can create space for nature behind the graves." Informational signs dotted around the cemetery explain the importance of different measures and habitats, with photos of the animals that frequent them. The cemetery also offers a guided tour exploring the hamsters' favourite haunts. "People are starting to appreciate that we have something special here," says Filek. "It creates a synergy between cemetery staff, citizens and scientists, who all work together for something worth protecting." All this effort has begun to pay off. New species such as the locally endangered Eurasian Hoopoe have been sighted in the cemetery since the biodiversity project started. The area's open meadows and old trees reflect the birds' preferred habitat, explains Filek. "By chance, probably also due to changes in the environment, a breeding pair ended up here." Now, five of them are regularly present in the area, and cemetery workers have set up nesting boxes to encourage others to come. Just recently, Filek received the first confirmed sighting of a European Ground Squirrel at the cemetery, a species that is globally endangered and protected under Austrian law. When new graves are dug, the cemetery administration asks Filek for advice, in a bid to minimise disruption to wildlife. For example, only natural burials are allowed near the hamster's burrows, and only in locations where they are not disturbed. But biodiversity efforts need to be balanced with the visitors' expectations of what a well-cared-for cemetery looks like. "Some people want it to be more manicured, and you have to take that very seriously," says Kowarik. "There's nothing wrong with that at all, because intensively manicured areas are also a piece of this habitat mosaic. The secret of biodiversity in cemeteries is that so many different things are possible." Plus, at the end of the day, some of these places are still run as businesses – and that can lead to dilemmas. In Berlin, where most of cemeteries are run privately by religious communities or cemetery associations, many are struggling financially because people are opting for urns over casket burials and spending less on burial plots, says Kowarik. Private cemeteries do not receive funding from the city to maintain their green areas, so they sometimes end up selling their unused land for property development. "We need more green space in cities, not less. Public funds should be used to continue supporting the crucial ecological and social functions of cemeteries," argues Kowarik. But at the Vienna Central Cemetery, making room for nature is still a priority. "For us, a cemetery is more than just a burial site and a place of remembrance – it's also a refuge for people, animals and plants," says Lisa Pernkopf, spokesperson for Friedhöfe Wien GmbH, which manages Vienna's public cemeteries. "We've realised how important our green spaces are, especially with the aim of doing something for the urban climate and biodiversity." Filek's hope is that some parts of the cemetery will eventually become protected under nature conservation laws. He has already discussed his idea with city officials. "We have collected the data," he says. "We know what we have here. Now, we have to protect it – and make sure it stays protected." -- For essential climate news and hopeful developments to your inbox, sign up to the Future Earth newsletter, while The Essential List delivers a handpicked selection of features and insights twice a week. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
National Geographic
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- National Geographic
Who was Hedy Lamarr? The Hollywood star who helped invent Wi-Fi
As an actress, she was known as the 'most beautiful woman in the world' during the 1940s. Lamarr was also a technological genius whose inventions helped support the Allies during WWII. Bob Cranston and Hedy Lamarr work together in the One and Three Color Studio in 1940. Lamarr was a star in 1940s Hollywood while simultaneously inventing frequency hopping. Photograph by NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images As the world marched toward the second catastrophic world war, film legend Hedy Lamarr posed for publicity photographs and played femmes fatales on the silver screen. But her day job wasn't always top of mind for the actress, one of the biggest names of Hollywood's Golden Age. Lamarr was a technological genius and as she stole Hollywood's heart in the 1940s, she was busy dreaming up an invention she hoped could help her adopted nation, the United States, keep Nazi Germany at bay. Lamarr's idea was a simple yet ingenious way to prevent Axis warships from interfering with secret Allied communications—an idea so good, it became the foundation of modern telecommunications like Wi-Fi and GPS. But Lamarr's behind-the-scenes work as an inventor was overshadowed by both her Hollywood glamour and the gender biases of her time, which held that beauty and brains couldn't coexist. Here's why Lamarr was more than a pretty face—and how her invention of frequency hopping changed daily life forever. Who was Hedy Lamarr? Hedwig 'Hedy' Kiesler was born on November 9,I 1914, in Vienna to parents of Jewish ancestry, though her mother converted to Christianity. Known as Austria-Hungary at the time, the area was rampant with antisemitism during the early 20th century. Lamarr would remain secretive about her Jewish identity during her life, historians note, even hiding her Jewish heritage from her own children. The child of wealthy parents, she grew up in a privileged society and attended private schools alongside other well-to-do children. She was a curious student with a knack for science and engineering but was expected to conform to feminine ideals of the time and prioritize romance and family over a career. Rewarded for her physical appearance over her intelligence, she gravitated toward acting and appeared in her first film in Austria in 1930. The starlet's early roles typecasted her as an 'innocent-but-seductive Viennese beauty,' writes historian Ruth Barton. Soon, she moved to Berlin in search of wider fame among German-speaking audiences. There, she took acting classes and landed the lead role in 1933's Ecstasy, a daring film directed by Gustav Machatý. The movie immediately gained renown as an erotic masterpiece, turning heads with its depictions of nudity and sexual pleasure. It launched her into immediate fame, which she translated into a theatrical career and a marriage to wealthy arms dealer Fritz Mandl in 1933. Mandl's status as a trusted arms dealer to Italian and German fascists guaranteed his wife a lavish social life. But he was jealous, possessive, and unashamed of his close links to fascism. Mandl's wide-ranging arms business put his wife in uncomfortable proximity to anti-Semites, Nazis, and fascists. Though the reluctant wife felt increasingly trapped in her relationship, she did enjoy accompanying her husband to meetings with some of Europe's greatest scientific and technological minds. Eventually she fled her marriage—and 1937, she also fled Europe, where anti-Semitism was on the rise. (How Operation Paperclip brought Nazi scientists to the U.S.) When Hedy heard that film magnate Louis B. Mayer was headed to the U.S. on an ocean liner after a vacation, she made a last-minute decision to book herself on the same ship. On board, she managed to meet and captivate Mayer, whose MGM Studios was reaching its pinnacle of productivity, popularity, and profitability. Together, they dreamed up a new identity tailor-made for the camera's loving lens: Hedy Lamarr, a beautiful but aloof MGM star. With the help of an on-board makeover and plenty of publicity, Hedy Lamarr was an immediate sensation when she arrived in New York. What did Hedy Lamarr invent? In 1938, Lamarr's breakout role in Algiers made her a bona fide star, and she went on to play seductresses in movies like Lady of the Tropics, Boomtown, and Ziegfield Girl. Though her beauty captivated audiences, her intelligence—and technological genius—remained strictly behind the scenes. By then, the Second World War had begun, and Lamarr was considering quitting acting and offering her technological abilities to the U.S. to help the war effort. Her inside knowledge of weaponry and arms that she had gained from observing her ex-husband and his clients was also invaluable. Though the U.S. hadn't yet joined the war, it was already providing supplies to the Allies by sea, and both merchant and military craft faced constant threats from German torpedoes. Lamarr was up to speed on the latest in European torpedo technology thanks to socializing with her husband's clients. She was thinking about a way for Allied ships to prevent their radio-controlled torpedoes from being sabotaged by German ships, which often successfully interfered with Allied radio signals and rendered the torpedoes useless. What if the torpedoes and operators instead communicated on more than one signal, 'skipping' together to another frequency often to evade German jammers? In 1940, she met George Antheil, a modernist composer with a love of technology. He immediately realized he was speaking with the smartest woman in the room, he recalled in his 1945 memoir. Hedy is very, very bright,' he wrote. 'Compared with most actresses we know, Hedy is an intellectual giant.' When Lamarr told Antheil about her 'frequency-hopping' theory, he was intrigued and was able to build a prototype of the kind of technology she envisioned. He was best known for works that featured synchronized player pianos alongside bells, sirens, airplane propellers, and other jolting sounds—compositions that had almost caused a riot during their Carnegie Hall debut in 1930. Antheil helped devise a player-piano-inspired invention that used clockwork and pianola reels to shift operator and receiver to a different frequency together. Inspired by reports of mounting casualties in the Atlantic, they decided to submit their idea to the newly founded National Inventors Council, a public-private accelerator program designed to fast-track inventions that might help the war effort. In 1942, they received a patent for their 'Secret Communications System'—the rights to which they granted to the U.S. Navy. The concept failed 'largely because the invention was well beyond the technical capacities of the time,' wrote historian Lisa A. Marovich in Business and Economic History in 1998. Ultimately, the Navy decided not to move ahead with the device, a rejection Antheil always chalked up to the patent's mention of player pianos. As it turns out, the idea was technically sound—just decades ahead of its time. Hedy Lamarr's high-tech concept Lamarr continued her film career, peaking in the 1940s and early 1950s with films like Samson and Delilah before seeing her career decline at the end of the decade. Behind the scenes, her tempestuous off-screen life resulted in six marriages, six divorces, and three children. Lamarr became an American citizen in 1953. (A strike threatened to cripple Hollywood in 1960. Here's how they resolved it.) Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy had been sitting on the technology she had pioneered. But just as Lamarr's film star began to fall, the Cold War prompted government officials to look back on some of their rejected World War II-era technologies. The Navy began using Lamarr and Antheil's concepts to develop secure communications systems for a variety of uses, but never publicly credited the inventors. 'Most of the technology being developed by or for the armed forces incorporated Lamarr and Antheil's frequency-hopping concepts' by the 1960s, wrote Kenneth T. Klima and Adriana Klima in Navy History in 2019. The concept was kept classified until the 1980s. Yet few knew or acknowledged who had invented frequency-hopping once the concept became part of the public domain. As Lamarr's star sank, her contribution to technology was hidden in plain sight, in the telephones, televisions, and other new technologies that surrounded her. But, wrote Klima and Klima, 'they received no attribution, royalties, or credit from the military or the communications industry.' For years, there was scant recognition of the invention outside of a jokey 1946 newspaper column claiming that Lamarr's famous beauty, and her participation in the National Inventors' Council, had proven a remarkable recruiting tool for would-be inventors. Her invention with Antheil formed the basis of telecommunications advances like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. An unacknowledged genius Until recently, Lamarr's innovation went unacknowledged, even as it became nearly ubiquitous in telecommunications. Meanwhile, the erstwhile Hollywood star tired of public life and became a near recluse, dying in 2000 at age 85. By then, the scientific world had begun to acknowledge her contributions, and Lamarr and Antheil were honored with awards. But her biggest award, induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, came posthumously, acknowledging that Lamarr and her inventing partner 'never profited from their invention during their lifetime.' Did Lamarr realize how important her work would become—or how her work opened new avenues for women in STEM? 'She never talked about that part of her life,' said director Alexandra Dean, whose documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story explores the inventor's life and legacy, in a 2018 interview. 'The unfortunate thing is, I am always way ahead of time,' lamented Lamarr herself in her 1966 autobiography, Ecstasy and Me: My Life as a Woman. 'And that is a handicap to me.' Despite being innovative and creative, wrote Lamarr, she had few opportunities to express that side of herself in a world obsessed with her beauty and sex appeal. (Was red lipstick a symbol of Hollywood glamor or sign of witchcraft?) 'If her dreams of a return to the screen were now past, Hedy's fondness for invention remained with her until the end,' writes Barton. Her technology has now outlived her, and she is memorialized as both a screen legend and an unexpected founding figure in modern telecommunications.
The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
An astonishing tale of Lamborghinis, cocaine and the need to make a quick buck: best podcasts of the week
Two days after his release from prison, TJ Dominguez opens up about a life where he ran the largest Lamborghini dealership in the world by day, then by night made $100m a month flying cocaine for Pablo Escobar. Host Jonathan Walton's rapport-packed interview with him makes for a wild story – of how Dominguez only ended up there after being conned, desperately needing to make a quick buck to fulfil his late dad's last wishes. Alexi Duggins Widely available, episodes weekly This fun, chatty cookery show features chef Claire Thomsonmeeting celebrities to cook their favourite recipe. First up, it's Amol Rajan making a paneer curry – having failed to tell Thomson which ingredients to buy in advance. The audio's not the slickest, but it's a colourful, engaging way to go about unlocking famous people's informal side. ADWidely available, episodes weekly Subtitled Breaking the Internet, this fourth series of the Long Lead/PRX podcast might make you want to log off for good. From social media to the manosphere, journalist Garrett Graff takes a sharp and generally terrifying look back at 30 years online to ask 'When was the last time you felt good about the internet?' Hannah J DaviesWidely available, episodes weekly Hollywood film star Hedy Lamarr lived two remarkable lives in one: her cinema career and her less appreciated sideline as an inventor. The new season explores her life in full, explaining how technological advances she pioneered helped to lay the foundations for future communication breakthroughs including GPS, Bluetooth and wifi. Phil Harrison Widely available, episodes weekly Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion US writer Allison Raskin and her husband John Blakeslee host this series about the ups and downs of getting wed, or as Raskin puts it: 'Is this a pro-marriage podcast? Yes … but with so many asterisks!' While earnest at points, their wit peeks through – and there's added intrigue from the fact that Blakeslee was once in the CIA. HJD Widely available, episodes weekly
Associated Press
03-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Hackatao x Crypto stamp art
Mozart & Hedy Lamarr as phygital icons of the second edition Following the great success of the first joint edition, Austrian Post is launching a new, limited edition ofCrypto stamp art (CSA)together with the renowned artist duoHackatao. It will be issued on June 4, 2025 at 10 a.m. and also be available to purchase from the Austrian Post stand atNFC Lisbon, one of the world's leading Web3 events. The new Crypto stamp art is dedicated to two extraordinary personalities from Austrian history: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Hedy Lamarr. Both personalities embody ingenuity, creativity and the courage to break with convention. Hackatao interprets their complexity in four unique motifs: The artist duo Hackatao, pioneers of crypto art, combine social themes with a colorful, surreal visual language in the second edition of Crypto stamp art. In cooperation with Austrian Post, physical stamps and digital NFTs merge to create a unique collector's experience. The so-called Soulbound Tokens are inseparable from the physical stamp, their authenticity is guaranteed by modern NFC technology and blockchain - an innovative example of the future of collecting, in which art, technology and history come together. This Crypto stamp art is EUR 21.80 per stamp with a total issue of 10,000 (2,500 per motif). Available inselected post offices, via the collector's service (phone: +43 577 67 – 95095; email:[email protected]) and at the Web3 Event NFC in Lisbon. More information:
BBC News
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC World Service English announces new commissions for spring 2025
BBC World Service English will bring listeners a varied offering of factual and inspiring programming this spring with the return of familiar favourites and new commissions. Newly commissioned series, The Interview, will bring listeners the best conversations from the BBC, featuring global leaders, decision-makers and cultural icons. Each interview will be packed full of insight and analysis, covering the biggest issues of our time. While the BBC World Service's new sport offer, Not by the Playbook, will hear from some of the most famous names in sport, with inspirational stories on resilience and perseverance. Audiences can expect the return of Untold Legends, spotlighting the American actress and inventor, Hedy Lamarr, and award-winning podcast Good Bad Billionaire, is back for a third season to analyse the minds, motives and money of the world's richest people. Dear Daughter, the podcast that's building a 'handbook to life' for daughters everywhere, will be kicking off its fifth season and Amazing Sport Stories: Bill Walton's The Grateful Team, will explore the story of the Lithuanian basketball team that made it to the 1992 Olympics against all odds. Jon Zilkha, Controller, BBC World Service English, says: 'I'm proud of the breadth, depth and variety we have lined up for World Service English listeners in our new and returning commissions programming this spring. Our new commissions will aim to engage and inspire listeners with stories that inform as well as resonate globally. Our returning series will cover business, sport, lifestyle and history like no other international radio network.' More information on the new and returning series - The Interview Launch 31 March 2025 Conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The Interview will see the best in-depth interviews from the across the BBC curated for World Service English listeners. We'll hear from titans of business, politics, finance, sport and culture. Global leaders, decision-makers and cultural icons. Politicians, activists and CEOs. Each interview will be packed full of insight and analysis, covering some of the biggest issues of our time. How does it work? Well, at the BBC, our journalists interview amazing people every single day. And on The Interview, we bring them to you. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Not by the Playbook Launch 5 April 2025 Not by the Playbook will tell inspirational personal stories from sportspeople who have overcome seemingly impossible challenges to succeed. We will hear from some of the most famous names in sport but on subjects you've never heard them on before. But you don't have to be an Olympic gold medallist to have an amazing and inspiring story – we'll also be scouring the globe for those who make a difference to the world through sport. We'll give them a platform to tell us about what they are passionate about on and off the field. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Saturdays at 0900 GMT or you can listen to Not by the Playbook as a podcast, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Good Bad Billionaire, Season 3 March 2025 (10 episodes) After winning Gold in the Business category at the British Podcast Awards, Good Bad Billionaire is back for a much-anticipated third season. Simon Jack, Business Editor for BBC News, and Zing Tsjeng, journalist, author and podcaster, find out how the richest people on the planet made their billions, and decide whether they think they are 'good', 'bad', or just another billionaire. Season 3 will feature big names including pop icon Selena Gomez, and television personality Martha Stewart. We'll also be taking a peek into the lives of Minecraft-creator Markus Persson, and former Marvel boss, Isaac 'Ike' Perlmutter. Dear Daughter, Season 5 April 2025 (11 episodes) The podcast that's building a 'handbook to life' for daughters everywhere. The fifth season of the award-winning podcast, hosted by Namulanta Kombo, will hear more inspirational letters written from parents to their children. Having never worked in broadcasting, Namulanta Kombo won the BBC World Service's International Podcast Competition in 2021 with her idea for Dear Daughter. The inspiration for the podcast came from her decision to start writing letters to her young daughter 'Koko'. Amazing Sport Stories: Bill Walton's The Grateful Team May 2025 (3 episodes) Amazing Sport Stories: The Grateful Team is presented by the basketball legend and sports broadcaster Bill Walton, who sadly passed away in May 2024, not long after recording the series. Sport, music, the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union all come together in the story of how the Lithuanian basketball team made it to the 1992 Olympics – thanks in part to sponsorship from the US rock band, the Grateful Dead. Untold Legends, Season 2: Hedy Lamarr June 2025 (8 episodes) Untold Legends is the BBC World Service, Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds podcast that explores the incredible stories of individuals who had their achievements overlooked. Season 2 delves into the story of Hedy Lamarr, a Jewish actress who escaped the Nazis to become a Hollywood star. However, despite being one of the most recognisable faces of her era, few people at the time knew Hedy was also a gifted inventor. Untold Legends: Hedy Lamarr tells the story of a brilliant mind confined to the expectations of her beauty. Untold Legends: Hedy Lamarr is presented by inventor and model Andini, who is joined by Hollywood actress AnnaSophia Robb. RD
