99% Invisible
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
Libraries get rid of books all the time. There are so many new books coming in every day and only a finite amount of library space. The practice of freeing up library space is called weeding. When the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library was damaged by an earthquake 1989, the argument over which books need to be weeded, and how they were chosen for removal, reached fever pitch.
This episode originally aired on May 14, 201...
Old ideas about air and disease were wrong on the science, but looking to the past might actually help us design healthier buildings today.
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This is the first official episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution.
This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss the Preamble, alongside Nikole Hannah-Jones.
Elizabeth also explains that while the United States generally does not allow a standing army to be used against civilians, Trump has been exploiting an exception to keep troops in Los Angeles to protect ICE agents — with terrifying implications.
How a radio show born at a small college station in DC and dedicated to smooth, romantic love songs transformed black radio and reshaped love lives across the country.
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A rock icon sets out to save music with a strange yellow gadget that almost no one understood.
If you're new to the show (thanks Apple Podcasts!) here are some favorite episodes to get you started:
- Freedom House Ambulance Service
- One-Nil to the Arsenal
- Guerrilla Public Service Redux
- Towers of Silence
- The House that Came in the Mail
- The Real Book
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In this bonus episode, an offbeat walking tour through San Francisco uncovers hidden rooftop parks, a leaning skyscraper scandal, a vanished statue, and the graceful brilliance of the Golden Gate Bridge.
This episode is sponsored by GetYourGuide. Discover and book experiences for your next trip at getyourguide.com.
Roman Mars's Guide to San Francisco
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How did millions of Americans end up living in neighborhoods where finding fresh food is harder than ever, and why is the problem by design, not accident? The answer rests in a major policy shift that fundamentally altered the American food landscape.
If you're new to the show (thanks Apple Podcasts!) here are some favorite episodes to get you started:
An immigration reporter’s chance encounter in the desert reveals how borders shape our actions, our beliefs, and the way we see the world around us.
If you're new to the show (thanks Apple Podcasts!) here are some favorite episodes to get you started:
A century-old shipwreck, a sea of glass, and the lifeboats that were never meant to save you.
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After Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd last year, tens of thousands of people all over the world took to the streets to protest police violence against Black people. And if you look at images from these marches, you will probably start to notice a common color scheme -- one involving a lot of red, black, and green. The flag was invented to unite Black people all over the world living under racial repre...
We heard you. The chorus of voices asking “where is Con Law? Where is Professor Elizabeth Joh to guide us through this madness? We need it now more than ever!” Well, here it is. We’re back with a special extra-long episode about Trump’s perverted use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport people without due process and how judges are trying to hold the administration accountable to the Constitution.
Plus, we announce the launch of The 9...
A debilitating injury forces 99PI's Kurt Kohlstedt to confront new everyday challenges and seek out accessible design solutions for one-handed living.
The full set of Adapt or Design articles can be found at 99pi.org/adapt.
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Why is it so hard to build anything in America? Ezra Klein explores how our good intentions led to a system that stifles progress, and what it would take to break free.
Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
Build, Interrupted: A Conversation with Ezra Klein
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A dusty surveillance file uncovers the story of love, betrayal, and the fight for Puerto Rico’s freedom.
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Shortwave radio opened a portal to the world—then became a weapon in a high-stakes war of propaganda and power.
The Divided Dial is a podcast series about the history of radio from WNYC's On the Media and longtime 99PI contributor, Katie Thornton.
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A single 👍 emoji sent over text was meant to say “got it”—but instead, it kicked off a $62,000 legal battle and raised the question: can an emoji seal a contract?
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At 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 — the flag of South Vietnam.
There were actually several confounding international flags present at the Capitol riot that day: the Canadian, Indian, South Korean flags, all were spotted somewhere in the mayhem. But what was peculiar about the Vietn...
A goofy Shakira remix, a nervy penalty kick, and 60,000 fans turning banter into legend—welcome to the world of football chants.
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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 how did our tax system become so complicated?
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John Green uncovers how the world’s deadliest curable disease still thrives—and why everything, from cowboy hats to colonial borders, traces back to tuberculosis.
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