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99% Invisible: Daily Summaries Delivered
by 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.
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Today43 min
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 now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 3 days agonarrative40 min5-min read
The MAPL Test
Canada's music and cultural identity was once overshadowed by American dominance, but a bold government policy called CanCon forced radio stations to play Canadian music, sparking a homegrown creative revolution. What started as a controversial quota system evolved into a cultural engine that launched global stars and reshaped national pride.
- 1 weeks agonarrative35 min5-min read
100 Objects #2: 60-Degree Screw
The episode explores how the standardization of something as seemingly trivial as the screw thread became a cornerstone of American global influence, revealing how invisible technical agreements underpin modern industrial power and empire.
- 1 weeks ago48 min
Drug Story: Ivermectin
What started as a revolutionary treatment for river blindness became something far messier. Listen to Drug Story 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 2 weeks agonarrative30 min5-min read
100 Objects #1: The Century Safe
The episode explores the story of a 19th-century time capsule—the Century Safe—sealed in 1876 and opened in 1976, revealing not national treasures but mundane artifacts that prompt a deeper reflection on what history preserves and what it forgets. It uses this narrative to launch a new series, A History of the United States in 100 Objects, challenging listeners to reconsider how we tell the story of a nation through material culture.
- 3 weeks ago32 min
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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 4 weeks agonarrative3 min3-min read
A History of the United States in 100 Objects
This podcast episode introduces a new limited series, A History of the United States in 100 Objects, which explores American identity and history through everyday, overlooked items rather than iconic national relics. Hosted by Roman Mars, the series reframes the nation’s story as one of contradiction, resilience, and hidden meaning embedded in ordinary things.
- May 5, 2026conversational35 min5-min read
Enshittification
Modern smart devices, from tractors to iPhones, are becoming harder to repair due to software locks and corporate control, leading to what author Cory Doctorow calls 'inshittification'—a slow degradation of user experience that benefits corporations at the consumer’s expense. But a growing 'right to repair' movement is fighting back with laws, hacks, and class-action lawsuits.
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Explores the strange edges of science, consciousness, and reality through neuroscience, cosmology, evolution, and emerging technology.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of 99% Invisible as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
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How often does 99% Invisible release new episodes?
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What topics does 99% Invisible cover?
99% Invisible covers topics including Arts, Design. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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