Description
Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we've just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture. From award winning producer Roman Mars. Learn more at 99percentinvisible.org.
Episodes
- 2025 / 5 / 6đ âď¸A single đ emoji sent over text was meant to say âgot itââbut instead, it kicked off a $62,000 legal battle and raised the question: can an emoji seal a contract?đ âď¸ Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to...
- 2025 / 4 / 29Changing Stripes RevisitedAt the January 6th Capitol insurrection, rioters waved Confederate, MAGA, and Trump-as-Rambo flags. Easy to miss without knowing the design was a bright yellow flag with three red stripes â the flag of South...
- 2025 / 4 / 22One-Nil to the ArsenalA goofy Shakira remix, a nervy penalty kick, and 60,000 fans turning banter into legendâwelcome to the world of football chants.One-Nil to the Arsenal Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes...
- 2025 / 4 / 15I've Got 1099 Problems...If you're one of the millions of Americans struggling with your tax forms today, you're not alone. Even Albert Einstein allegedly found income taxes to be "the hardest thing in the world to understand." But...
- 2025 / 4 / 8Everything Is TuberculosisJohn Green uncovers how the worldâs deadliest curable disease still thrivesâand why everything, from cowboy hats to colonial borders, traces back to tuberculosis.Everything Is Tuberculosis Subscribe to...
- 2025 / 4 / 4A Walking Tour with Mr. MemphisTake a whirlwind tour of Memphis with the cityâs most enthusiastic historian, uncovering duck parades, telecom turf wars, and a street named after a single day in 1934.A Walking Tour with Mr....
- 2025 / 4 / 1The Great American PyramidIn 1991, one of the strangest buildings in America opened â a 32-storey, stainless steel pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee.The Great American Pyramid Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of...
- 2025 / 3 / 25Secret Mall ApartmentA group of artists explored the back hallways of a mall in Providence, RI, and found the perfect place to build a private hangout. We interviewed the group's leader Michael Townsend a few years back, and he's...
- 2025 / 3 / 18Beautiful West Oakland, CaliforniaWhen global trade reshapes a city, who pays the priceâand who fights back?Beautiful West Oakland, California Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get...
- 2025 / 3 / 11What We're ReadingAfter we finished up The Power Broker, a bunch of people were asking us what other books weâd been reading. A group of us got together and presented some of our recent favorites, and the choices were so good...
- 2025 / 3 / 4A Beetle By Any Other NameA tiny, unremarkable beetle hiding in the caves of Slovenia has an infamously unfortunate nameâone that has sparked heated debates in the scientific world.A Beetle By Any Other Name Subscribe to SiriusXM...
- 2025 / 2 / 25The BrutalistsA film about a struggling architect, a style the world loves to hateâThe Brutalist and Brutalism itself share more than just a name. Is it bold vision or concrete failure?The Brutalists Subscribe to SiriusXM...
- 2025 / 2 / 18The Nazi BlockIn the heart of Berlinâs Tempelhof-SchĂśneberg district sits a hulking, crumbling concrete cylinderâan abandoned relic of a Nazi plan to rebuild the city as a grand imperial capital. But this eerie structure...
- 2025 / 2 / 14The Power Broker Breakdown Wrap-UpJoin Roman and Elliott one last time as they reflect on their journey with you all through The Power Broker, exploring their favorite moments and answering listener questions in this bonus episode.If you...
- 2025 / 2 / 11Your Own Personal JesusHow did a simple painting transform into the world's most recognized depiction of Jesus?Head of Christ Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive...
- 2025 / 1 / 28Valley So LowWhat went wrong in Kingston, Tennessee, and what does it reveal about the messy legacy of public utilities turned corporate giants?Valley So Low Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to...
- 2025 / 1 / 24The Power Broker Breakdown BreakdownThe Power Broker Breakdown may have concluded, but if you're just tuning in (or if you just want a quick refresher), this episode is a compilation of the summary portions of the The Power Broker Breakdown...
- 2025 / 1 / 14Ancient DMsThe story of an 2700 year old archive, its accidental preservation, and the unprecedentedâand often funnyâglimpse it gives us into the daily life of an ancient king.Ancient DMs Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+...
- 2025 / 1 / 7Mini-Stories: Volume 20Happy New Year! We're starting 2025 with four more mini stories about a sleepy button, electric signs, a very important sticker, and video you can smell.Mini-Stories: Volume 20 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+...
- 2024 / 12 / 31Hyperfixed: Dylan's Supermarket Cold CaseWe've all got problems. Sometimes your problem is a massive roadblock in your life, or maybe it's this little thing that quietly annoys you that you've learned to grudgingly put up with. But regardless of the...
- 2024 / 12 / 24New Year, New NeighborhoodThe story of New Year's Eve in Times Square, and how a quiet group of unelected Manhattan property owners used the holiday â and their own undemocratic municipal power â to transform the neighborhood from its...
- 2024 / 12 / 20The Power Broker #12: Robert CaroThis is the twelfth and final episode breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro.Weâve waited until the evening to see how splendid the day has been, and for...
- 2024 / 12 / 17Mini-Stories: Volume 19Cheeky highway signs, Jane Fondaâs surprising side hustle, a dynamite twist on legacy, and the Greeksâ ideal foot obsessionâexpect the unexpected.Mini-Stories: Volume 19 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on...
- 2024 / 12 / 10The Flop House: Megalopolis, with Roman MarsRoman Mars and the Flop House team dive into Francis Ford Coppola's intriguing and controversial film, Megalopolis, exploring its chaotic narrative, ambitious ideas, and perplexing execution.Listen to The...
- 2024 / 12 / 3The 15 Minute CityHow did the â15 Minute City,â a simple urban planning idea, spark protests, conspiracy theories, and death threats? This week, we unravel how a concept for livable cities became a global flashpoint.The 15...
- 2024 / 11 / 26Raccoon ThanksgivingAfter Toronto unveiled its "raccoon-resistant" compost bins in 2016, some people feared the animals would be starved, but many more celebrated the innovative design. Rolling out this novel locked bin opened a...
- 2024 / 11 / 19Roman, Elliott, and Robert Caro: Live in ConversationWhat makes The Power Broker endure 50 years on? Roman Mars and Elliott Kalan sit down with legendary author Robert Caro to explore the humanity, drama, and untold stories behind his iconic book. Recorded live...
- 2024 / 11 / 15The Power Broker #11: Brennan Lee MulliganThis is the eleventh official episode, breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman Mars and Elliott Kalan sit down with Brennan Lee Mulligan,...
- 2024 / 11 / 12The Memory PalaceâŚBook!Roman talks with The Memory Palace creator Nate DiMeo, whose new book brings his poetic history podcast to life on the page. They explore how moments of wonder and empathy shape Nateâs stories, turning...
- 2024 / 11 / 5Meet Me at RiisAs the last warmth of summer fades, Riis Beachâa hidden queer oasis behind a decaying hospitalâfaces a new reality. With its shadowy protector demolished, can this haven survive in the open, or will its magic...
- 2024 / 10 / 29How the World Ran Out of EverythingRemember when grocery shelves went bare and cargo ships clogged the California coast? That chaos wasnât just a pandemic hiccupâit was a symptom of a supply chain stretched to its limits. With insights from...
- 2024 / 10 / 22Spirit HalloweenEvery fall, a vacant Toronto storefront is possessed by Spirit Halloween, the pop-up shop haunting 1,500 empty spaces across North America. What does this seasonal invasion say about the retail apocalypse?...
- 2024 / 10 / 18The Power Broker #10: Clara JefferyThis is the tenth official episode, breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott sit down with Clara Jeffery, the editor-in-chief...
- 2024 / 10 / 15Trompe L'oeilToday, we have three stories about designs meant to fool you. Camouflage meant to fool U-boats. Highways designed to fool your brain into going way faster than it should want to. And impeccably made fake...
- 2024 / 10 / 11Brilliantly BoringIn this bonus episode, Roman unearths the surprising story behind the 99% Invisible's name and delves into the unnoticed brilliance of everyday designâfrom the origins of reinforced concrete to the artistry...
- 2024 / 10 / 8ChristianiaIn the heart of Copenhagen, a former military base transformed into Christiania, a self-proclaimed anarchist commune where residents built a new way of living, free from traditional rules. But as the years...
- 2024 / 10 / 1The Infernal MachineThe unexpected story of how Alfred Nobelâs invention of dynamiteâdesigned to build the worldâwas co-opted by anarchists to bring about its destruction. From revolutionizing infrastructure to arming political...
- 2024 / 9 / 24Cue the Sun!What started as Emily Nussbaumâs âguilty pleasureâ of watching Big Brother became a deeper dive into the world of reality TV, leading to her book, Cue the Sun: The Invention of Reality TV. From its early,...
- 2024 / 9 / 20The Power Broker #9: Majora CarterThis is the ninth official episode, breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott also sit down with Majora Carter, an urban...
- 2024 / 9 / 17Planet Money: Zombie 2nd MortgagesKaren MacDonough had paid her mortgage for years, raised her family, and lived a quiet life in her Quincy, Massachusetts homeâuntil one day, a group of strangers appeared on her lawn, claiming her house was...
- 2024 / 9 / 10Medellin, RevisitedOnce considered the most dangerous city in the world due to drug cartel violence, by the early 2000s Medellin had reinvented itself. But gentrification is allowing criminal gangs to reap large profits from a...
- 2024 / 9 / 6Not Built For This #6: Maximum TemperatureThe impacts of climate disasters are often measured in terms of property damage. But in places like Phoenix, Arizona, and in hot places all over the world, climate change is wreaking a very different kind of...
- 2024 / 9 / 3Not Built For This #5: The Little Levee That CouldMost of the stories in this series have been about places that are ill-prepared for the extreme weather that is coming their way. But this story is about a place that managed to get the kind of infrastructure...
- 2024 / 8 / 30Not Built For This #4: Unbuilding the TerraceAll across the country thousands of people are living in locations that regularly flood, and many of these places will only get more flood-prone as the climate continues to change. Residents who live in these...
- 2024 / 8 / 27Not Built For This #3: The Price is WrongInsurance companies are not climate activists, but they know more about climate risk than just about anyone. And as storms get more extreme and unpredictable a lot of insurers are running the numbers on...
- 2024 / 8 / 23Not Built For This #2: The Ripple EffectIn disasters where a lot of people lose their homes, the impacts are not confined to a single city or town. They ripple outward, cascading into the surrounding area, as the survivors are forced to go looking...
- 2024 / 8 / 20Not Built For This #1: The Bottom of the BowlReporter Emmett Fitzgerald was used to hearing people call his home state of Vermont a âclimate haven.â But last summer, he got a wake up call in the form of a devastating flood.All throughout the United...
- 2024 / 8 / 16The Power Broker #8: Shiloh FrederickThis is the eighth official episode, breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott sit down with Shiloh Frederick. Born and raised...
- 2024 / 8 / 16The Power Broker #08: Shiloh FrederickThis is the eighth official episode, breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. This week, Roman and Elliott sit down with Shiloh Frederick. Born and raised...
- 2024 / 8 / 13Side ProjectsThis week we're highlighting a couple of series that live inside the 99pi production tent.Weâve got a preview of a new miniseries for you called Not Built for This, created and hosted by Emmett FitzGerald....