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.
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Recent Episodes
The Borrowed Nature of Biomimicry
Aug 04, 2026Behind every perfect nature-inspired design is a far more complicated story. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free...
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This episode of 99% Invisible explores the nuanced world of biomimicry - design inspired by nature - through three case studies that range from straightforward success to marketing fiction. Reporter Kurt Kolstad examines how the relationship between nature and human innovation is often more complex than simple headlines suggest, revealing that biomimicry stories exist on a spectrum from genuine scientific breakthroughs to pure PR exercises.
- The Kingfisher and Japan's Bullet Train
- The Shipworm and London's First Underwater Tunnel
100 Objects #11: Brannock Device
Jul 31, 2026In 1925, the world saw the birth of what just might be the greatest gadget in American History: the Brannock Device. The metal contraption transformed the way we measure feet forever, and more than a ...
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A deep dive into the Brannock device, the metal foot-measuring tool found in shoe stores, exploring its invention in 1925 by Charles Brannock, its enduring design excellence, and what its simple business model represents in contrast to modern American capitalism dominated by private equity and shareholder value.
- The Birth of Revolutionary Shoe Fitting
- A Singularly Focused Inventor and His Obsession
The Finnish Baby Box
Jul 28, 2026A simple cardboard box helped transform Finland into one of the best places in the world to raise a child. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a wh...
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99% Invisible explores the Finnish baby box, a government-provided starter kit for newborns that has become a beloved national institution. Reporter Olivia Humphries traces the box's 90-year evolution from a poverty-fighting tool in the 1930s to a symbol of universal welfare and equality, examining how this simple cardboard box filled with baby essentials has shaped Finnish culture and inspired similar programs worldwide.
- Origins of the Finnish Baby Box
- Wartime Adaptations and Universal Expansion
100 Objects #10: Nunchaku
Jul 24, 2026In the early 1970s, Bruce Lee made nunchaku (nunchucks) cool — kids were building their own and buying them in record numbers. But the nunchucks craze coincided with something much bigger: the birth o...
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This episode explores how nunchucks became a powerful symbol of Asian American identity and Third World solidarity in 1970s America through Bruce Lee's groundbreaking martial arts films. The story traces Lee's journey from a marginalized TV sidekick to international action hero, showing how his weaponry choice and fighting philosophy helped unite marginalized communities and sparked both a cultural revolution and government backlash that led to widespread nunchuck bans.
- Bruce Lee's Early Life and the Birth of a Maverick
- The One-Inch Punch and Discovery of Nunchucks
The Original 100 Objects
Jul 21, 2026Neil MacGregor reflects on creating the landmark series that changed how people think about history. Then, revisit the Rosetta Stone, the artifact that unlocked ancient Egypt. Subscribe to SiriusXM ...
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In this episode, Roman Mars interviews Neil MacGregor, the original host of BBC Radio 4's groundbreaking series 'A History of the World in 100 Objects.' They discuss the philosophy behind telling history through objects rather than traditional narratives, the challenges of choosing 100 objects from the British Museum's collection, and how radio as a medium uniquely allows listeners to imaginatively possess objects they cannot see. The conversation explores themes of democratizing history, giving voice to the voiceless, and the complexities of presenting objects with sacred or contested meanings. The episode concludes with an example episode about the Rosetta Stone, demonstrating how a seemingly dull bureaucratic artifact became key to unlocking Egyptian hieroglyphics.
- The Genesis of 100 Objects and Museum Philosophy
- Radio as Medium: Imagination Over Visual Reproduction
100 Objects #9: Missing Children Milk Carton
Jul 17, 2026In 1982, a twelve-year-old paperboy, Johnny Gosch, vanished from a quiet Iowa street and sparked an unlikely campaign: the faces of missing children printed on milk cartons by the billions. Roman Mars...
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This episode examines the history of missing children on milk cartons, beginning with the 1982 disappearance of 12-year-old Iowa paperboy Johnny Gosch. The campaign, which started locally and went national, printed billions of cartons but found only two children alive. The story explores how this campaign shaped American fears around child safety, the racial disparities in which cases received attention, and how stranger danger mythology persists today despite most abuse coming from people children know. Through stories like Bonnie Bullock—who found herself on a milk carton—and modern conspiracies like Pizzagate, the episode reveals how we prefer comforting fantasies about external threats over confronting systemic realities of child abuse.
- The Disappearance of Johnny Gosch
- The Birth of the Milk Carton Campaign
If Mosquito Hawks Can Fly
Jul 14, 2026A Louisiana man born into slavery designs an airship with hopes to take flight. Those plans are interrupted, but maybe not forever. Listen to Family Lore wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe ...
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This episode of Family Lore investigates the story of Charles Frederick Page, a Black inventor born into slavery in Louisiana in 1864, who reportedly invented and patented an airship before the Wright Brothers' famous flight. The episode explores his grandson Joseph Page's memories, historian Michael Wynn's research discoveries, and modern efforts to rebuild and validate Page's lost invention. It reveals a compelling story about innovation, systemic racism, and historical erasure in American invention history.
- Joseph Page's Memories of Growing Up in Jim Crow Louisiana
- Charles Frederick Page: Renaissance Man Born Into Slavery
100 Objects #8: Billy Possum
Jul 10, 2026In 1902, an American classic was born: the teddy bear. Named after President Theodore Roosevelt, the toy became a huge hit, and sparked an idea…maybe every president from then on should have their own...
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This episode explores America's complicated relationship with wildlife through the stories of two presidential mascots: the successful teddy bear named after Theodore Roosevelt and the failed Billy Possum created for William Howard Taft. The episode traces how our treatment of animals—from extermination to empathy—reflects broader environmental attitudes, culminating in the modern use of the polar bear as a symbol for climate change activism.
- The Birth of the Teddy Bear
- America's War on Wildlife
The Score
Jul 07, 2026We keep score of everything these days. But what happens when the numbers start changing what we actually care about? Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-fr...
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Philosophy professor C.T. Nguyen joins Roman Mars to discuss his book 'The Score: How to Stop Playing Someone Else's Game,' exploring how metrics and scoring systems shape our lives. Nguyen introduces the concept of 'value capture'—when simplified, quantified versions of our values take over our richer, more nuanced goals. The conversation examines the paradox of scoring systems: they create beautiful, joyful experiences in games but often drain meaning from work, education, and parenting. Through examples ranging from philosophy journal rankings to fly fishing, Nguyen reveals how we can recognize when we're playing someone else's game and reclaim agency over the metrics that govern our lives.
- The Crisis of Academic Metrics and Value Capture
- Why Value Capture Is So Seductive
100 Objects #7: The Otis Pamphlet
Jul 03, 2026Before the Declaration of Independence was even a twinkle in the founding fathers' eyes, there was James Otis. Journalist Jack Hitt returns to tell the wild, tragic story of America’s forgotten proto-...
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This episode tells the compelling story of James Otis, a forgotten founding father who wrote what some consider America's true founding document—a 1764 pamphlet asserting colonial rights. Through journalist Jack Hitt's discovery of an original copy hidden in Columbia University's library, we learn about Otis's legendary five-hour courtroom speech against British search warrants, his revolutionary ideas about natural rights that predated the Declaration of Independence, and his tragic descent into madness after a violent altercation. His story is one of brilliance, courage, and the heavy price of being ahead of one's time.
- The Discovery in the Library
- Colonial Boston and the Writs of Assistance Crisis
Transatlantic Fiber-Optic Expialidocious
Jun 30, 2026Before the internet went global, one undersea gamble made it possible. Jane Ruffino’s story, "Say Goodbye to the Undersea Cable That Made the Global Internet Possible," appears in the May-June issu...
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99% Invisible explores the fascinating history of TAT-8, the first transatlantic fiber optic submarine cable that revolutionized global telecommunications in 1988. Reporters Roman Mars and Christopher Johnson trace the cable's journey from its ambitious beginnings through AT&T and Bell Labs, its triumph over satellite technology, and its current recovery from the ocean floor nearly 40 years later. The episode reveals the physical infrastructure behind our seemingly wireless internet and the remarkable human labor required to install, maintain, and now recover these undersea cables.
- The Physical Reality of the Internet
- From Victorian Party Trick to Telecommunications Revolution
100 Objects #6: "Sharpened Screwdriver"
Jun 26, 2026In this episode, Roman and historians Heather Ann Thompson and Elliot Williams tell the story of the sharpened screwdriver: the object at the heart of the 1984 Bernhard Goetz subway shooting. In a dif...
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This episode examines the 1984 Bernie Goetz subway shooting case, where a white man shot four unarmed Black teenagers in New York City. The case explores how misinformation about 'sharpened screwdrivers' helped transform the victims into villains, setting legal precedents for self-defense that continue to influence vigilante cases today, from George Zimmerman to Kyle Rittenhouse to Daniel Penny.
- The Death Wish Era and NYC in 1984
- The Four Teenagers and Their Plan
The Most Exciting Change America Has Ever Seen
Jun 23, 2026Billions of state quarters disappeared from circulation...and that was exactly the plan. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. ...
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This episode of 99% Invisible explores the fascinating history and economics behind the U.S. State Quarters program. Host Roman Mars and reporter Katie Thornton reveal how this seemingly innocent collectible coin initiative was actually a sophisticated money-making scheme that netted the government $2.6 billion in profit by encouraging Americans to take quarters out of circulation. The story covers the evolution of American currency, the concept of seigniorage, and includes a compelling saga about one artist's protest against the design of the Missouri state quarter.
- The Birth of American Currency and the Quarter
- Design Evolution and the Janvier Machine Revolution
100 Objects #5: Blue Back Speller
Jun 19, 2026In this episode, Roman and historian Imani Perry follow the Webster Blue Back Speller from the early days of the United States, to the heart of Black intellectual life. Through the lives of Booker T. ...
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This episode explores how the Webster Blueback Speller, a pocket-sized literacy tool created by Noah Webster in 1783, became an unexpected instrument of freedom for Black Americans. Despite being designed for white Americans and created by a man who didn't consider Black people part of the American project, enslaved and freed Black people transformed this simple spelling book into a tool for liberation. The episode traces how this single book shaped the divergent educational philosophies of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, whose famous debate over industrial versus classical education and the path to Black freedom still resonates today.
- Noah Webster Creates the Blueback Speller
- Black Americans Claim the Speller as a Tool for Freedom
The Horn That Divided the World Cup
Jun 16, 2026Love it or hate it, one buzzing horn changed the sound of the World Cup forever. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a ...
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99% Invisible explores the controversial history of the vuvuzela, the plastic horn that became synonymous with South Africa's 2010 FIFA World Cup. The episode examines how this instrument evolved from a symbol of black South African football culture and resistance during apartheid into a global phenomenon that sparked intense debate about authenticity, cultural appropriation, and what constitutes appropriate sporting traditions.
- FIFA's Ongoing Controversies and World Cup History
- South Africa Wins the 2010 World Cup Bid
100 Objects #4: Lowe's Gas Bag
Jun 12, 2026In 1861, one man and a “gas bag” filled with hydrogen sparked America's obsession with going higher, farther, into the unknown. In this episode, Roman and journalist Jack Hitt tell the story of Thadde...
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This episode explores the remarkable life of Thaddeus Lowe, a 19th-century aeronaut whose failed 1861 balloon journey from Cincinnati inadvertently led him to become chief of the first U.S. Balloon Corps during the Civil War. His innovations in aerial reconnaissance, along with his descendants' contributions to aviation, trace an extraordinary lineage from gas balloons to moon missions, embodying America's relentless drive to push higher and explore new frontiers.
- The Failed Cincinnati Flight and Civil War Context
- Pivoting to Military Innovation: The Birth of Aerial Reconnaissance
Karaoke Videos
Jun 09, 2026Behind every cheesy karaoke track was a surprisingly ambitious filmmaking experiment. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Sta...
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This episode explores the forgotten golden age of karaoke music videos produced for Pioneer LaserDisc in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These were original narrative short films created to accompany karaoke tracks, giving aspiring filmmakers paid opportunities to experiment with their craft on micro-budgets. The story traces how Pioneer revolutionized karaoke with LaserDisc technology, the creative freedom given to directors and producers, the bizarre and ambitious videos they created, and the eventual demise of this unique filmmaking ecosystem.
- The Discovery of Bizarre Karaoke Videos
- Pioneer LaserDisc Revolutionizes Karaoke
100 Objects #3: The Pension Files
Jun 05, 2026What do Civil War pension files reveal about one of history's most successful slave rebellions? Historian Edda Fields-Black joins Roman to trace a story of fire, flight, and freedom — beginning on a S...
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This episode of '99% Invisible' explores the Combahee River Raid of 1863, the largest and most successful slave rebellion in U.S. history. Historian Dr. Etta Fields-Black reveals how U.S. Army pension files unlocked the stories of 756 enslaved people who were liberated by Union forces led by Harriet Tubman. The episode follows the raid itself, the firsthand accounts of those freed, and how these pension files allowed Fields-Black to restore the names and stories of the people involved—including discovering her own ancestor was one of the liberating soldiers.
- The Moment of Liberation: Minus Hamilton's Story
- Harriet Tubman: From Underground Railroad to Union Spy
The MAPL Test
Jun 02, 2026Canada reshaped its music industry with a quirky radio rule that changed who got heard. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. S...
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This episode explores Canada's CanCon (Canadian Content) regulations, a groundbreaking policy introduced in 1970 that mandated radio stations play a minimum percentage of Canadian music. The episode traces how these controversial regulations transformed Canada from having virtually no music industry to becoming the world's sixth-largest music market, while also examining the system's flaws, unintended consequences, and uncertain future in the streaming era.
- Canada's Music Industry Before CanCon
- The Birth of CanCon Regulations
100 Objects #2: 60-Degree Screw
May 29, 2026In the early 20th century, nothing quite fit — fire hoses couldn't connect to one another, football teams played with different balls, traffic lights meant different things in different states. Then W...
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This episode explores how the humble screw thread became a tool of American global power, tracing the journey from chaotic pre-standardization America through Herbert Hoover's bureaucratic crusade to standardize everything, culminating in how World War II and post-war dominance allowed the U.S. to impose its technical standards on the world—creating an invisible empire built not on military conquest but on the subtle power of compatible objects.
- The Great Baltimore Fire and America's Standards Crisis
- Herbert Hoover: The Standardization Crusader