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 (93)
The 99PI Anniversary Special: 15 for 15
For 99PI’s 15th anniversary, Roman sits in the hot seat to answer 15 eclectic questions, touching on everything from his dream merch to the one object he's always wanted to cover on the show.
Ambassador Bridge
A billionaire family’s private bridge empire shaped Detroit for decades, sparking battles over power, neighborhoods, and the future of an international crossing.
All About That Bass
Vintage music barely had any bass. Today’s hits are all about the low end. What changed?
Sister Aimee and the Birth of the Megachurch
Aimee Semple McPherson built America’s first megachurch, blended showbiz with salvation, and vanished in a scandal that captivated the nation.
Weeding is Fundamental Revisited
The fight over weeding books from the library.
Air-Borne
Old ideas about air and disease were wrong on the science, but looking to the past might actually help us design healthier buildings today.
Constitution Breakdown #1: Nikole Hannah-Jones
This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss the Preamble, alongside Nikole Hannah-Jones.
The Quiet Storm
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.
Neil Young’s iPod Killer
A rock icon sets out to save music with a strange yellow gadget that almost no one understood.
Roman Mars's Guide to San Francisco
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...
Food Deserts
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?
Open Borders
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.
The Titanic's Best Lifeboat
A century-old shipwreck, a sea of glass, and the lifeboats that were never meant to save you.
The Red, the Black, and the Green
The Red, Black, and Green flag was invented to unite Black people all over the world living under racial repression.
The Return of Con Law
Announcing The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The Constitution and the return of What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law.
Adapt or Design
A debilitating injury forces 99PI's Kurt Kohlstedt to confront new everyday challenges and seek out accessible design solutions for one-handed living.
Build, Interrupted: A Conversation with Ezra Klein
Why is it so hard to build anything in America?
Foreign in a Domestic Sense
A dusty surveillance file uncovers the story of love, betrayal, and the fight for Puerto Rico’s freedom.
Fishing In The Night
Shortwave radio opened a portal to the world—then became a weapon in a high-stakes war of propaganda and power.
😅⚖️
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?
Changing Stripes Revisited
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...
One-Nil to the Arsenal
A goofy Shakira remix, a nervy penalty kick, and 60,000 fans turning banter into legend—welcome to the world of football chants.
I've Got 1099 Problems...
How did our tax system become so complicated?
Everything Is Tuberculosis
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.
A Walking Tour with Mr. Memphis
Take a whirlwind tour of Memphis with the city’s most enthusiastic historian, uncovering duck parades, telecom turf wars, and a street named after a single day in 1934.
The Great American Pyramid
In 1991, one of the strangest buildings in America opened — a 32-storey, stainless steel pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee.
Secret Mall Apartment
A group of artists explored the back hallways of a mall in Providence, RI, and found the perfect place to build a private hangout. Plus, mall history with Alexandra Lange.
Beautiful West Oakland, California
When global trade reshapes a city, who pays the price—and who fights back?
A Beetle By Any Other Name
A tiny, unremarkable beetle hiding in the caves of Slovenia has an infamously unfortunate name—one that has sparked heated debates in the scientific world.
The Brutalists
A film about a struggling architect, a style the world loves to hate—The Brutalist and Brutalism itself share more than just a name. Is it bold vision or concrete failure?
The Nazi Block
One of the Third Reich’s most colossal architectural failures.
The Power Broker Breakdown Wrap-Up
Join 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.
Your Own Personal Jesus
How did a simple painting transform into the world's most recognized depiction of Jesus?
The Wide Open
In the 1970s, the fight to save a tiny fish called the snail darter turned the Endangered Species Act from a minor bit of federal law into the most powerful and controversial piece of environmental...
Valley So Low
What went wrong in Kingston, Tennessee, and what does it reveal about the messy legacy of public utilities turned corporate giants?
The Power Broker Breakdown Breakdown
The 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...
Sanctuary
A deadly desert crossing leaves survivors seeking refuge—and sparks a movement that defied the law and redefined the idea of sanctuary in America. This is the story of how faith, courage, and...
Ancient DMs
The story of an 2700 year old archive, its accidental preservation, and the unprecedented—and often funny—glimpse it gives us into the daily life of an ancient king.
Mini-Stories: Volume 20
Happy 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.
Hyperfixed: Dylan's Supermarket Cold Case
Featuring Hyperfixed by former Reply All co-host, Alex Goldman.
New Year, New Neighborhood
The story of New Year's Eve in Times Square.
The Power Broker #12: Robert Caro
Featuring our hero, Robert Caro, and covering the final section of Part 7, chapters 47-50.
Mini-Stories: Volume 19
Cheeky highway signs, Jane Fonda’s surprising side hustle, a dynamite twist on legacy, and the Greeks’ ideal foot obsession—expect the unexpected.
The Flop House: Megalopolis, with Roman Mars
Roman 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.
The 15 Minute City
How did the “15 Minute City,” 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.
Raccoon Thanksgiving
After 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...
Roman, Elliott, and Robert Caro: Live in Conversation
What 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....
The Power Broker #11: Brennan Lee Mulligan
Featuring Brennan Lee Mulligan, a comedian and host with Dropout TV, and covering the second section of Part 7, chapters 42-46.
The Memory Palace…Book!
Roman talks with The Memory Palace creator Nate DiMeo, whose new book brings his poetic history podcast to life on the page.
Meet Me at Riis
As the last warmth of summer fades, Riis Beach—a hidden queer oasis behind a decaying hospital—faces a new reality.
How the World Ran Out of Everything
Remember when grocery shelves went bare and cargo ships clogged the California coast? That chaos wasn’t just a pandemic hiccup—it was a symptom of a supply chain stretched to its limits.
Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween takes over empty stores every fall—explore the eerie allure behind these spooky pop-ups and what they say about the decline of retail.
The Power Broker #10: Clara Jeffery
Featuring Clara Jeffery, the editor-in-chief of Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting, and covering the last section of Part 6 and the first section of Part 7, chapters 39-41.
Brilliantly Boring
In this bonus episode, Roman unearths the surprising story behind the 99% Invisible's name and delves into the unnoticed brilliance of everyday design—from the origins of reinforced concrete to the...
Christiania
In Copenhagen, Christiania—a commune born from rebellion—now faces mounting pressures that could force it to choose between its radical ideals and survival.
The Infernal Machine
The unexpected story of how Alfred Nobel’s invention of dynamite—designed to build the world—was co-opted by anarchists to bring about its destruction.
Cue the Sun!
The decades-long creation of possibly the most controversial form of entertainment: reality television. How does it shape our world and why–love it or hate it–you should probably understand it.
The Power Broker #9: Majora Carter
Featuring Majora Carter, an urban revitalization strategist and real estate developer from the South Bronx, and covering the third section of Part 6, chapters 35-38.
Planet Money: Zombie 2nd Mortgages
Zombie mortgages—decades-old debts—are suddenly coming back to life and threatening to take everything away.
Medellin, Revisited
Once 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...
Not Built For This #5: The Little Levee That Could
How the residents of Hamilton City, California finally got the levee they deserved.
Not Built For This #4: Unbuilding the Terrace
What’s it like for residents to fight like hell for help, but the help on offer means leaving the place they love?
Not Built For This #3: The Price is Wrong
As storms get more extreme and unpredictable, insurance companies are running the numbers on Florida and realizing that the math just isn’t working anymore.
Not Built For This #2: The Ripple Effect
How a wildfire in California exacerbated a housing crisis.
Not Built For This #1: The Bottom of the Bowl
Reporter Emmett Fitzgerald was used to hearing people call his home state of Vermont a “climate haven.” But last summer, he got a wake up call in the form of a devastating flood.
The Power Broker #8: Shiloh Frederick
Featuring writer and influencer, Shiloh Frederick, and covering the second section of Part 6, chapters 33-34.
The 2024 Olympics Spectacular
Weird Sports, White Elephants, and When Doves Cry
The Power Broker #7: Sec. Pete Buttigieg
Featuring Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and covering the second half of Part 5 and the first section of Part 6, chapters 27-32.
A River Runs Through Los Angeles
Decades ago, the city of Los Angeles buried its natural river in concrete and turned it into infrastructure. And understanding why it actively disappeared is key to understanding Los Angeles,...
As Slow As Possible
One intrepid reporter travels to Germany to witness a chord change for an organ concert designed to last 639 years, and to discover why such a concert is even happening in the first place.
The Containment Plan (rebroadcast)
It’s hard to overstate the vastness of the Skid Row neighborhood in Los Angeles. It spans roughly 50 blocks, which is about a fifth of the entire downtown area of Los Angeles. It’s very clear when...
Backfired: The Vaping Wars
Nearly 10 years after the launch of the JUUL, Backfired: The Vaping Wars asks: Could e-cigarettes have been the solution to one of the world’s most pressing public health problems—or was this...
The Power Broker #6: Mike Schur
Featuring television producer, writer, director, and actor Mike Schur, and covering the first half of Part 5, chapters 25-26.
Category 6
In the 55 years since the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale was created to warn us about hurricanes, hurricanes have become bigger, faster, and more devastating. There's now debate about whether it...
The Los Angeles Leaf Blower Wars
The leaf blower is one of the most hated objects in the modern world, but the reality of banning them is very complicated.
Fact Checking the Supreme Court
Whose job is it to fact check the Supreme Court? As it turns out, no one. So why is it like that, and what even happens when you prove them wrong?
Uptown Squirrel [update]
Squirrels were purposefully introduced into our cities in the 1800s, and when their population exploded, we lost track of how many there are.
The Lost Subways of North America
Roman talks to Jake Berman, author of "The Lost Subways of North America."
The Power Broker #5: Brandy Zadrozny
Featuring Brandy Zadrozny, senior reporter for NBC News who covers misinformation, conspiracy theories, and the internet, and covering the last section of Part 4, chapters 21-24.
It's Howdy Doody Time!
How an ugly puppet created television as we know it.
Towers of Silence: Vulture Conservation
In this bonus episode, Lasha talks about extra reporting she did for Towers of Silence on the current state of vulture conservation.
Mr. Yuk
Our pal Gillian Jacobs takes us through the history of poison control and the yucky face meant to warn children about the dangers lurking in their kitchen cabinets.
Towers of Silence
How the loss of vultures in India has put an ancient burial tradition in crisis.
The Power Broker #4: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Featuring the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and covering the second section of Part 4, chapters 16-20.
Anything's Pastable: Eat Sauté Love
Dan Pashman embarks on an epic trip across Italy in search of lesser-known pasta dishes — and to learn about the evolution of pasta more broadly.
The Society of Ambiance Makers and Elegant Persons
Bright, flamboyant central African fashion
Chambre de Bonne
The history of the chambre de bonne, the tiny French apartment type that may be, finally, on the way out.
Roman Mars Describes Athens GA As It Is
A 99pi guide to some of our favorite design features of Athens, Georgia.
The Monster Under the Sink
The garbage disposer and the dream of a garbage-free city
About this Podcast
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 Roman Mars. All rights reserved.
Language
en-us
Categories
Arts, Design