99% Invisible (Standard Length)

Series produced by Roman Mars

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Trying to comprehend the 99% invisible activity that shapes the design of our world.

A tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world. From producer Roman Mars and KALW in San Francisco.

In August 2012, 99% Invisible became the highest-funded journalism project in Kickstarter history, raising over $170,000 from 5661 backers.

With over 4 million downloads online, 99% Invisible recently peaked at #2 in iTunes ranking for all podcasts in the US, and had occupied the #1 spot in both the Arts and Design categories.

"Roman Mars lights the radio. His pieces conjure other worlds, grapple with big ideas, make sound three dimensional. They are smart and funny and original. The Kitchen Sisters would like to be Presidents of his Fan Club."
-The Kitchen Sisters, Peabody Award-winning producers for NPR

"We think what he’s doing is inspiring. It has a kind of rhythm and musicality that you don’t normally find in radio or podcast storytelling."
-Jad Abumrad, Radiolab

"I love the show. It's wonderful. [It] actually reminded me of why I love radio."
-Jonathan Goldstein, CBC's WireTap

"Mars is the Ira Glass of design."
-Allison Arieff, The New York Times Opinionator design columnist

Learn more: http://99percentinvisible.org Hide full description

A tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world. From producer Roman Mars and KALW in San Francisco. In August 2012, 99% Invisible became the highest-funded journalism project in Kickstarter history, raising over $170,000 from 5661 backers. With over 4 million downloads online, 99% Invisible recently peaked at #2 in iTunes ranking for all podcasts in the US, and had occupied the #1 spot in both the Arts and Design categories."Roman Mars lights the radio. His pieces conjure other worlds, grapple with big ideas, make sound three dimensional. They are smart and funny and original. The Kitchen Sisters would like to be Presidents of his Fan Club."-The Kitchen Sisters, Peabody Award-winning producers for NPR"We think what he’s doing is... Show full description


69 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
99% Invisible #26- Chicago's Jailhouse Skyscraper (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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If you want to stand out as a skyscraper in Chicago, you've got your work cut out for you.

Bought by KUOW and North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #25- Unsung Icons of Soviet Design (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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Imagine you're a country with 17 timezones. Your citizens want cassette players, but your factories only make tanks. What do you do?

Bought by North Country Public Radio and Third Coast Festival/Re:sound


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #24- The Two Fates of the Old East Portico (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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When the District recovered the old Capitol columns, it forgot about the other fragments that had also once held up the country's icon of democracy.

Bought by North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 1
99% Invisible #23- You Are Listening To (Standard 4:30 Version Only)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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When open-source data becomes a thing of beauty.

Bought by KUOW and North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #22- Free Speech Monument (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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The inscription on the granite reads, “This soil and the air space extending above it shall not be a part of any nation...”

Bought by North Country Public Radio, KUOW, and The Story


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #19- Liberation Squares (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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Tompkins, Tiananmen, Tahrir...why do revolutions always start in public squares?

Bought by North Country Public Radio and KUOW


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #20- Nikko Concrete Commando (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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The story of the guy who etched his name in 1,000 slabs of San Francisco concrete--and the reporter who spent years tracking him down.

Bought by The Story and North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #31- The Feltron Annual Report (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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Information designer Nicholas Felton has figured out how to graph the un-graphable: a year in his life.

Bought by The Story, North Country Public Radio, and Third Coast Festival/Re:sound


  • Added: Dec 20, 2011
  • Length: 04:31
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #17- Concrete Furniture (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
Piece image
In 1965, the people of Toronto were revolting against City Hall. Over furniture. Made out of concrete.

Bought by WBEZ, KUOW, and North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:32
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #18- Check Cashing Stores (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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One could argue that check cashing stores do a lot of things that are just plain wrong. But given so many people use them, what are they doing right?

Bought by North Country Public Radio, New Hampshire Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:31
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #16- A Designed Language (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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In the language that means hope, the sky is blueing.

Bought by The Story and North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:29
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #14- The Periodic Table (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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The Periodic Table knew what our universe was made out of even before we did.

Bought by KUOW, North Country Public Radio, and KZYX


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #15- Sounds of the Artificial World (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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Without their beeps and chimes, all of your modern conveniences would be very hard to use.

Bought by North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:31
  • Purchases: 1
99% Invisible #13- Maps
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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I’m sorry, but if you don’t love maps, I don’t think we can be friends anymore.

Bought by KUOW, Vermont Public Radio, and North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #12- 99% Guilt Free
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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A new streetlamp offers more by giving less.

Bought by KUOW, Vermont Public Radio, and North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:29
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #11- 99% Undesigned
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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Almost everything in modern life is designed to waste energy. If you feel OK about this--well, that's also by design.

Bought by WTJU, KUOW, North Country Public Radio, and KUT


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:31
  • Purchases: 4
99% Invisible #10- 99% Sound and Feel (Standard 4:30 version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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Even though he was deaf, Beethoven wrote some of the greatest works of music of all time. So when Chris Downey started losing his sight, he didn't...

Bought by KUOW and North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:29
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #09- 99% Private (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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If a public space is owned by a corporation, just how "public" is it?

Bought by KUOW, Vermont Public Radio, KUT, and North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 4
99% Invisible #08- 99% Free Parking (Standard 4:30 Version)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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No one's favorite part of living in an urban area is finding a place to park your car. But a re-designed parking system in San Francisco may take ...

Bought by WFPL News, North Country Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:32
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #07- 99% Alien (Standard 4:30 Version Only)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Standard Length)
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When it comes to designing livable habitats in outer space, engineers have long figured out how to provide astronauts with the basics. But how do ...

Bought by KUOW, North Country Public Radio, and KUT


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 3

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