99% Invisible+

Before the Declaration of Independence was even a twinkle in the founding father

Before the Declaration of Independence was even a twinkle in the founding fathers' eyes, there was James Otis. Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 🎧

100 Objects #7: The Otis Pamphlet

Before 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-founding father and his inflammatory 1764 pamphlet. A story that is, in many ways, the story of the founding document of the United States of America. A History of the United States in 100 Objects (https://99pi.org/100) is a production of 99% Invisible (https://99percentinvisible.org) and BBC Studios (https://www.bbcstudios.com/) . Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episod

Before the internet went global, one undersea gamble made it possible. Listen t

Before the internet went global, one undersea gamble made it possible. Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4fdt0kw

Transatlantic Fiber-Optic Expialidocious

Before 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 (https://www.wired.com/story/say-goodbye-to-the-undersea-cable-that-made-the-global-internet-possible/) ," appears in the May-June issue of Wired magazine. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus (http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.) . 

How was a household tool reimagined as a deadly weapon…that never actually exist

How was a household tool reimagined as a deadly weapon…that never actually existed? Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed, wherever you get your podcasts👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

100 Objects #6: "Sharpened Screwdriver"

In 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 difficult moment in New York City, four Black teenagers were transformed in the public imagination into armed criminals. What follows is a gripping account of how misinformation takes hold, how fear shapes public opinion, and how one narrative can ripple outward – echoing through decades of similar cases that continue to unfold today. A History of the United States in 100 Objects (https://99pi.org

Billions of state quarters disappeared from circulation...and that was exactly t

Billions of state quarters disappeared from circulation...and that was exactly the plan. Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4gC8JGy

The Most Exciting Change America Has Ever Seen

Billions 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.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus (http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.) . 

100 Objects #5: Blue Back Speller

In 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. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, Roman and Imani uncover how a single object became a gateway to literacy, self-determination, and an enduring debate about what education, citizenship, and freedom should mean in America. A History of the United States in 100 Objects (https://99pi.org/100) is a production of 99% Invisible (https://99percentinvisible.org) and BBC Studios (https://www.bbcstudios

Why did an ordinary schoolbook become so treasured that enslaved people risked t

Why did an ordinary schoolbook become so treasured that enslaved people risked their lives to possess it? Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed, wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

The Horn That Divided the World Cup

Love 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 free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus (http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.) . 

Love it or hate it, one buzzing horn changed the sound of the World Cup forever.

Love it or hate it, one buzzing horn changed the sound of the World Cup forever. Listen to 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/3S30Xvn

This is the story of Thaddeus Lowe — showman, scientist, and dreamer — whose bal

This is the story of Thaddeus Lowe — showman, scientist, and dreamer — whose balloon flight from Cincinnati went wildly off course and straight into the Civil War. Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

100 Objects #4: Lowe's Gas Bag

In 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 Thaddeus Lowe — showman, scientist, and dreamer — whose balloon flight from Cincinnati went wildly off course and straight into the Civil War. Lowe pivoted to create the US military's first aerial reconnaissance unit, a precursor to the Air Force, and today his legacy spans generations— stretching all the way to the dark side of the moon. A History of the United States in 100 Objects (https://99pi.or

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Minneapolis meetup this last weekend! Y

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Minneapolis meetup this last weekend! You nerds are even more beautiful in person 💛

Behind every cheesy karaoke track was a surprisingly ambitious filmmaking experi

Behind every cheesy karaoke track was a surprisingly ambitious filmmaking experiment. Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4osEeEX

Karaoke Videos

Behind 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.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus (http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.) . 

A stack of dusty paperwork, teeming with unheard voices. What do Civil War pensi

A stack of dusty paperwork, teeming with unheard voices. What do Civil War pension files reveal about one of the most successful slave rebellions in American history? Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

100 Objects #3: The Pension Files

What 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 South Carolina rice plantation in 1863, where a Union raid liberated over 700 people in a single night. By unearthing Black soldiers' testimonies buried in military pension applications, they resurrect not just the raid, but the lives and communities it transformed. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  Start a free trial

Canada reshaped its music industry with a quirky radio rule that changed who got

Canada reshaped its music industry with a quirky radio rule that changed who got heard 🇨🇦 Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4vh5Y1A

Attention Twin Cities! Come hang out with your fellow Beautiful Nerds this Sunda

Attention Twin Cities! Come hang out with your fellow Beautiful Nerds this Sunday for A 99PI Meetup (100 Objects Edition!) (P.S. Bonus pod merch for early arrivals) #99pi 🎙️99PI Meetup in Mpls [100 Objects Edition] 📆Sunday, June 7th @ 2:00 PM 📍Spyhouse Coffee in Northeast Mpls

The MAPL Test

Canada 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.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus (http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.) . 

A tiny screw. A precise angle. How America built a hidden empire, one standard a

A tiny screw. A precise angle. How America built a hidden empire, one standard at a time. Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

100 Objects #2: 60-Degree Screw

In 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 World War II exposed the deadly cost of incompatibility, and the US quietly imposed a single solution on production lines across the world: the 60-degree screw. Roman Mars and historian Daniel Immerwahr tell the story of a hidden industrial empire, built one standard at a time. A History of the United States in 100 Objects (https://99pi.org/100) is a production of 99% Invisible (https://99perce

100 Objects #2: 60-Degree Screw

In 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 World War II exposed the deadly cost of incompatibility, and the US quietly imposed a single solution on production lines across the world: the 60-degree screw. Roman Mars and historian Daniel Immerwahr tell the story of a hidden industrial empire, built one standard at a time. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  Start a

San Francisco Story Fest is one month away. One night. One stage. No replays. T

San Francisco Story Fest is one month away. One night. One stage. No replays. The villain at the core of Emmett's story is not a person, but a notorious piece of Bay area infrastructure. 🎟️ https://www.cityboxoffice.com/StoryFest Sponsored by @americansunited @knightfdn @propublica @wsanfrancisco

What started as a revolutionary treatment for river blindness became something f

What started as a revolutionary treatment for river blindness became something far messier. Listen wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4wOcSNi

Drug Story: Ivermectin

What started as a revolutionary treatment for river blindness became something far messier. Listen to Drug Story (https://www.drugstory.co/) wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus (http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.) . 

Can't wait for more 100 Objects? You can listen to Object #2 today by signing up

Can't wait for more 100 Objects? You can listen to Object #2 today by signing up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ 👉 https://bit.ly/3JXKO6d

Roman Mars Introduces 'A History of the United States in 100 Objects'

America’s 250th birthday calls for a history as sprawling and contradictory as the country itself.  A History of the United States in 100 Objects — hosted by Roman Mars and produced by BBC Studios and 99% Invisible — tells that history one thing at a time. A gold coin from an 1857 shipwreck that triggered a financial panic. An antebellum schoolbook that became an instrument of Black liberation. A ceramic dalmatian from the set of Wheel of Fortune. Or a tiny screw that shows how the US created a hidden industrial empire. Each week, an object opens the door into an extraordinary, often shockin

A locked iron safe, sealed for 100 years. What objects did Americans choose to r

A locked iron safe, sealed for 100 years. What objects did Americans choose to remember? From 99% Invisible and BBC Studios, the first episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects is available now 👉 https://bit.ly/4nA0z2U

100 Objects #1: The Century Safe

In 1876, Americans filled an iron safe with objects meant to tell their story — to be opened a century later. Roman Mars and historian Jill Lepore trace its long wait, from Reconstruction to Watergate, and the surprising, unsettling contents that emerged in 1976. What do the objects we choose to preserve — or forget — reveal about how we author our own history? A History of the United States in 100 Objects (https://99pi.org/100) is a production of 99% Invisible (https://99percentinvisible.org) and BBC Studios (https://www.bbcstudios.com/) . Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen

As wild and random as they might seem, a lot of work—and even poetry—goes into c

As wild and random as they might seem, a lot of work—and even poetry—goes into coming up with today's catchiest, most unforgettable drug names. Listen to 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4dnw3oo

Ask Your Doctor About

As wild and random as they might seem, a lot of work—and even poetry—goes into coming up with today's catchiest, most unforgettable drug names. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus (http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.) . 

Get your first look at A History of the United States in 100 Objects, a new seri

Get your first look at A History of the United States in 100 Objects, a new series from 99% Invisible and BBC Studios. Listen to the trailer now on the 99PI feed 👉 https://link.podtrac.com/100objects_trailer

A History of the United States in 100 Objects Trailer

America’s 250th birthday calls for a history as sprawling and contradictory as the country itself.  A History of the United States in 100 Objects — hosted by Roman Mars and produced by BBC Studios and 99% Invisible — tells that history one thing at a time. A gold coin from an 1857 shipwreck that triggered a financial panic. An antebellum schoolbook that became an instrument of Black liberation. A ceramic dalmatian from the set of Wheel of Fortune. Or a tiny screw that shows how the US created a hidden industrial empire. Each week, an object opens the door into an extraordinary, often sho

Why is it suddenly so hard to fix the stuff we depend on most? Listen to 99% In

Why is it suddenly so hard to fix the stuff we depend on most? Listen to 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/42QC2go

Enshittification

Why is it suddenly so hard to fix the stuff we depend on most? Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus (http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.) . 

How one man rejected nationality and dared the world to recognize him anyway. L

How one man rejected nationality and dared the world to recognize him anyway. Listen wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4cX5ndP

Citizen of the World

One man rejected nationality and dared the world to recognize him anyway. Listen to Far From Home (https://farfromhomepodcast.org/) wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus (http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.) . 

This month, Roman and Elizabeth are joined by Dr. Alondra Nelson, a leading expe

This month, Roman and Elizabeth are joined by Dr. Alondra Nelson, a leading expert on AI. She discusses why AI is a challenge to regulate, what to think of the tug of war between the states and the federal government on the topic. Listen wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4mSs8nZ

Constitution Breakdown #9: Alondra Nelson

This is the ninth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution. This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article VI (https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript#6) and VII (https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript#7) , which include some odds and ends like the Debts Clause, the No Religious Test Clause, and the process for ratification. But tucked into Article VI is the all-important Supremacy Clause, which states that the Constitution is the “supreme Law of the Land,” and is probably the most frequently used constitutional law i

Our episode The Quiet Storm won the Webby for Individual Podcast Episodes - Docu

Our episode The Quiet Storm won the Webby for Individual Podcast Episodes - Documentary! Congratulations to the episode's producer, Christopher Johnson, and the rest of the 99PI team who made this episode possible. And special thanks to you all for taking the time to vote for us 🟨

The world’s largest housing co-op— built to save New York City’s middle class— b

The world’s largest housing co-op— built to save New York City’s middle class— became the unlikely site of a resident revolt. Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 bit.ly/3OWxPVb

A History of the United States in 100 Objects will be on the 99PI feed alongside

A History of the United States in 100 Objects will be on the 99PI feed alongside our regular episodes 🟨

Co-op City

The world’s largest housing co-op—built to save New York City’s middle class—became the unlikely site of a resident revolt Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus (http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.) . 

Coming May 19th from 99% Invisible and BBC Studios, a new original series: A His

Coming May 19th from 99% Invisible and BBC Studios, a new original series: A History of the United States in 100 Objects. Each episode examines an ordinary object from America – sometimes overlooked, sometimes discarded – to uncover the human stories, contradictions, and cultural forces it reflects

Come see Producer Emmett Fitzgerald at San Francisco Story Fest! This year's the

Come see Producer Emmett Fitzgerald at San Francisco Story Fest! This year's theme is Villains. Stories about what we fear, what we misunderstand, and what we become. Journalism told live, on stage. Get Tickets to @storyfeststoryfest: 🗓️ June 12 · Herbst Theatre 🎟️ https://bit.ly/426A5fw

This is the LAST DAY to vote for 99PI in this year's Webbys! If you haven't alre

This is the LAST DAY to vote for 99PI in this year's Webbys! If you haven't already, visit the links below to cast your vote👇 🗳️ Arts & Culture: https://wbby.co/57421N 🗳️ Documentary: https://wbby.co/57423N

While umpires are about 97% accurate in calling balls and strikes, Major League

While umpires are about 97% accurate in calling balls and strikes, Major League Baseball has been considering something to take us up to 100% accuracy. They have a plan to replace human umpires... with robots. Listen to this updated episode wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4tM3kQw

RoboUmp Hits the Big Leagues

One study from 2018 found that Major League Baseball umpires blow about 14 calls every game. That’s 34,000 bad calls every year. And it makes a difference. A blown strike call can decide a win or a loss, a championship or six months at home, wondering what could have been. And while umpires are about 97% accurate in calling balls and strikes, Major League Baseball has been considering something drastic. Something to take us up to 100% accuracy. They have a plan to replace human umpires with robots. Now, with an update! Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invi

Answering your burning questions about the systems that keep our cities running.

Answering your burning questions about the systems that keep our cities running. All episodes of Service Request are out now on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://99percentinvisible.org/sr/ 📞🚦🗑️🔌🚗

Want to learn more about 311? Check out the first episode of Service Request 👉

Want to learn more about 311? Check out the first episode of Service Request 👉 99percentinvisible.org/episode/serv...

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani got first hand experience manning the city’s 311 lines

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani got first hand experience manning the city’s 311 lines 📞

A missing car reveals the confusing rules, murky fees, and private actors behind

A missing car reveals the confusing rules, murky fees, and private actors behind modern towing. Listen to the newest episode of Service Request on the 99% Invisible Feed 👉 https://bit.ly/3ObopVw

Service Request #5: Dude, Where's My Car?

A missing car reveals the confusing rules, murky fees, and private actors behind modern towing. What infrastructure mystery keeps you up at night? Submit your Service Request by recording a voice memo with your question and emailing it to servicerequest@99pi.org (mailto:servicerequest@99pi.org) . Service Request (https://99percentinvisible.org/sr) is a production of 99% Invisible (https://99percentinvisible.org/) and Campside Media (https://www.campsidemedia.com/) . Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  Start

In a place where losing power can turn deadly, keeping the lights on is a high-s

In a place where losing power can turn deadly, keeping the lights on is a high-stakes balancing act. Listen to a new episode of Service Request on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/41RiBDD

Service Request #4: How Does the Grid in Phoenix Work?

In a place where losing power can turn deadly, keeping the lights on is a high-stakes balancing act. What infrastructure mystery keeps you up at night? Submit your Service Request by recording a voice memo with your question and emailing it to servicerequest@99pi.org (mailto:servicerequest@99pi.org) . Service Request (https://99percentinvisible.org/sr) is a production of 99% Invisible (https://99percentinvisible.org/) and Campside Media (https://www.campsidemedia.com/) . Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  S

We are proud to announce that 99% Invisible has been nominated for two Webbys an

We are proud to announce that 99% Invisible has been nominated for two Webbys and received a Best Series Honoree for Hidden Levels! Visit the links to vote in each category 🟨 Arts & Culture: The Great American Pyramid 👉 https://bit.ly/41aS9EU Documentary: The Quiet Storm 👉 https://bit.ly/4v9EJGV

Why did it take nearly a decade to redesign a city trash can, and why haven’t mo

Why did it take nearly a decade to redesign a city trash can, and why haven’t more bins made the streets cleaner? Listen to Service Request on the 99% Invisible feed, wherever you get your podcasts 👉 99percentinvisible.org/episode/serv...

Service Request #3: Why Is There So Much Litter in San Francisco?

Why did it take nearly a decade to redesign a city trash can, and why haven't more bins made the streets cleaner? What infrastructure mystery keeps you up at night? Submit your Service Request by recording a voice memo with your question and emailing it to servicerequest@99pi.org (mailto:servicerequest@99pi.org) . Service Request (https://99percentinvisible.org/sr) is a production of 99% Invisible (https://99percentinvisible.org/) and Campside Media (https://www.campsidemedia.com/) . Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole we

Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article V, which lays out the process to amend the C

Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article V, which lays out the process to amend the Constitution, alongside historian and author Jill Lepore. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts 🎧

Constitution Breakdown #8: Jill Lepore

This is the eighth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution. This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article V (https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript#5) , which lays out the process to amend the Constitution. Then, Jill Lepore lays out her thesis that the Constitution is truly meant to be amended, explains why Article V amendments have become functionally impossible, and tells some fascinating stories about the people who have championed amendments. The 99% Invisible Breakdown of the Constitution (https://99percentinvisible.org/constit

What the world's most advanced traffic system can—and can't—do for the city that

What the world's most advanced traffic system can—and can't—do for the city that invented gridlock. Learn all about how a city's traffic lights work on the latest episode of Service Request, out now on the 99% Invisible podcast feed 👉 https://bit.ly/40SmEiJ

To learn more about 311, check out the first episode of Service Request 👉 99per

To learn more about 311, check out the first episode of Service Request 👉 99percentinvisible.org/episode/serv...

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Plenty of people call 311 with reasonable requests and questions. There are also

Plenty of people call 311 with reasonable requests and questions. There are also people who call with slightly more... memorable inquiries. Here are some of our favorites from the NYC 311 20th Anniversary Report 👇