99% Invisible

Roman Mars

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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813 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes813

Newest first

Mar 4, 2025 · 28 min
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.
Feb 25, 2025 · 38 min
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?
Feb 18, 2025 · 37 min
The Nazi Block
The story of how the Third Reich weaponized architecture as told by a 12,650 ton block of decaying concrete.
Feb 14, 2025 · 1 hr
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.
Feb 11, 2025 · 32 min
Your Own Personal Jesus
How did a simple painting transform into the world's most recognized depiction of Jesus?
Feb 4, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
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 legislation of the past 50 years.
Jan 28, 2025 · 33 min
Valley So Low
What went wrong in Kingston, Tennessee, and what does it reveal about the messy legacy of public utilities turned corporate giants?
Jan 24, 2025 · 16 min
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 Breakdown series.
Jan 21, 2025 · 52 min
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 resistance collided with one of the biggest immigration battles in modern history.
Jan 14, 2025 · 34 min
Ancient DMs
An exploration of the often deep ironies involved in why some objects from our past get saved…and others don’t.
Jan 7, 2025 · 35 min
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.
Dec 31, 2024 · 26 min
Hyperfixed: Dylan's Supermarket Cold Case
Featuring Hyperfixed by former Reply All co-host, Alex Goldman. Maybe it’s just a quiet annoyance you’ve grudgingly learned to put up with, or a life defining issue that makes it hard to move forward. Whatever it is, former Reply All co-host Alex Goldman — reporter, radio producer, and overconfident idiot — will get to the bottom of it (if there’s a bottom to be found. Results may vary). On Hyperfixed, follow Alex as he figures out not only the vast hidden mechanisms creating these problems, bu
Dec 24, 2024 · 33 min
New Year, New Neighborhood
The story of New Year's Eve in Times Square.
Dec 20, 2024 · 2 hr 31 min
The Power Broker #12: Robert Caro
Featuring our hero, Robert Caro, and covering the final section of Part 7, chapters 47-50.
Dec 17, 2024 · 36 min
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.
Dec 10, 2024 · 1 hr 48 min
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.
Dec 3, 2024 · 37 min
The 15 Minute City
In 2020, the "15 minute city" became a popular concept among urban planners. By 2023, it was the target of right-wing conspiracy theorists.
Nov 26, 2024 · 27 min
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 opened a new battlefront in city's ongoing "war on raccoons."
Nov 19, 2024 · 44 min
Roman, Elliott, and Robert Caro: Live in Conversation
Roman and Elliott in conversation with Robert Caro, live at New-York Historical Society.
Nov 15, 2024 · 2 hr 49 min
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.

99% Invisible

A Beetle By Any Other Name

The Brutalists

The Nazi Block

The Power Broker Breakdown Wrap-Up

Your Own Personal Jesus

The Wide Open

Valley So Low

The Power Broker Breakdown Breakdown

Sanctuary

Ancient DMs

Mini-Stories: Volume 20

Hyperfixed: Dylan's Supermarket Cold Case

New Year, New Neighborhood

The Power Broker #12: Robert Caro

Mini-Stories: Volume 19

The Flop House: Megalopolis, with Roman Mars

The 15 Minute City

Raccoon Thanksgiving

Roman, Elliott, and Robert Caro: Live in Conversation

The Power Broker #11: Brennan Lee Mulligan