Podcast · 134 episodes
99% Invisible, page 3
by Roman Mars · English
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.
All episodes, page 3
Constitution Breakdown #8: Jill LeporeArticle 5 of the U.S. Constitution—how amendments are supposed to work, why the framers built in “the philosophy of amendment,” and why formal amendment has largely stalled since 1971.27 Mar 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 20 chapters
Service Request #2: Why Is This Red Light So Damn Long?A weekly exploration of design and architecture in the world around us.24 Mar 2026 · 28 min · 9 chapters
Service Request #1: What Happens When I Call 311?How New York City’s 311 system works—how calls are routed, how operators use a large knowledge database, and how 311 data feeds back into city operations.17 Mar 2026 · 35 min · 15 chapters
A Man, a Plan, a Canal—Mars!The “Martians” craze (late 1800s–early 1900s) sparked by Percival Lowell’s claim that straight “canali” lines on Mars were an alien-built irrigation network, and how the idea spread, then collapsed.10 Mar 2026 · 33 min · 11 chapters
Where the F*** Are We?The 1707 Isles of Scilly shipwrecks and the “longitude problem,” how Britain’s Longitude Act (1714) spurred the development of accurate sea timekeeping, and how non-instrument Polynesian navigation…3 Mar 2026 · 47 min · 28 chapters
Constitution Breakdown #7: California AG Rob BontaArticle 4 (federalism between states and federal government) and the Tenth Amendment (limits on federal power), with a focus on how states cooperate, how Congress can require interstate recognition,…27 Feb 2026 · 1 h 18 min · 31 chapters
The Longest Fence in the WorldAustralia’s Dingo Barrier Fence—how it was built to protect sheep, repurposed from failed rabbit fences, and what it has done to ecosystems and politics; plus a contrasting look at free-roaming…24 Feb 2026 · 32 min · 16 chapters
Molar CityDental tourism in Los Algodones, Mexico—Americans cross the border for much cheaper care, turning the town into “Molar City” with clinics, promoters, and tourism infrastructure.17 Feb 2026 · 42 min · 18 chapters
Artistic License ReduxThe episode “Artistic License Redux” (99% Invisible) traces how state license plates became advertising and political battlegrounds.10 Feb 2026 · 34 min · 14 chapters
The Em DashThe history and cultural role of the em dash, and how it became a “ChatGPT hyphen” signal—plus a human-made workaround called the Am-dash.3 Feb 2026 · 39 min · 18 chapters
Constitution Breakdown #6: Adam LiptakArticle 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which creates the federal judiciary (Supreme Court plus inferior courts), and how Congress shapes that system; the episode also contrasts Article 3’s limited text…30 Jan 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 24 chapters
What’s in a NameThe episode “What’s in a Name” (99% Invisible) uses Zimbabwean naming practices to explain how names function as messages, history, and identity.27 Jan 2026 · 27 min · 18 chapters
Audio FluxRoman Mars interviews AudioFlux creators Julie Shapiro and John DeLore about AudioFlux, a twice-yearly short-audio documentary challenge designed to revive short-form experimental storytelling amid…20 Jan 2026 · 37 min · 10 chapters
Exit Interview With Michael BierutExit interview with graphic designer Michael Bierut on his career, design philosophy, and recent design trends; includes a reversible invitation story, a New York Times signage highlight, and…13 Jan 2026 · 37 min · 12 chapters
Mini-Stories: Volume 22Three “mini-stories” (sports tech, Titanic-related survival, and art vending machines) plus host wrap-up.6 Jan 2026 · 33 min · 16 chapters
Beyond the 99% Invisible CityA “99% Invisible City” expanded-audio episode compiling four short stories from the book’s main chapters—Infrastructure, Urbanism, Geography, and Architecture—plus brief “conspicuous/inconspicuous”…30 Dec 2025 · 40 min · 7 chapters
Constitution Breakdown #5: Dr. Tom FriedenArticle 2 of the U.S. Constitution (executive branch) and how modern politics and the Supreme Court have reshaped presidential power and the “administrative state,” with a focus on CDC-style…26 Dec 2025 · 1 h 19 min · 31 chapters
Mini-Stories: Volume 21Episode “Mini-Stories: Volume 21” (99% Invisible) is a holiday recap of three short, loosely connected stories. Topic 1: the Luxor Pyramid in Las Vegas.23 Dec 2025 · 29 min · 13 chapters
Sax AppealThe invention and cultural journey of the saxophone, from 19th-century European instrument innovation (Adolphe Sax) to its role in American jazz, political backlash, and later mainstream pop—ending…16 Dec 2025 · 44 min · 17 chapters
The CheckerboardIn the episode titled "The Checkerboard," host Roman Mars explores a unique land ownership phenomenon known as checkerboarding, which affects public access to land in the American West.9 Dec 2025 · 38 min
U Is for UrbanismA weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture in our lives, often in the unnoticed places. Hosted by Roman Mars.2 Dec 2025 · 38 min
Constitution Breakdown #4: Janet NapolitanoIn this episode of 99% Invisible, host Roman Mars and co-host Elizabeth discuss Article Two of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes the executive branch.28 Nov 2025 · 1 h 22 min
MurderlandCaroline Fraser explores the connection between environmental factors, industrial poison, and a surge in serial killings in the Pacific Northwest during the 1970s and 80s, linking it to the impacts…25 Nov 2025 · 28 min
The Moving Walkway Is EndingIn this episode of 99% Invisible, host Roman Mars shares a nostalgic perspective on moving walkways, particularly in airports, while exploring their historical origins and decline.18 Nov 2025 · 40 min