99% Invisible (Standard Length)

Series produced by Roman Mars

Series image

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


129 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First

  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 11
Piece image
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 Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, WOUB, Rhythm & News Service, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 17
Piece image
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 Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio, WTJU and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 16

  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 13
Piece image
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 Rhythm & News Service, WOUB, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 17
Piece image
Tompkins, Tiananmen, Tahrir...why do revolutions always start in public squares?

Bought by Rhythm & News Service, WUTC, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 15
Piece image
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 Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio, Spokane Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 14
Piece image
Information designer Nicholas Felton has figured out how to graph the un-graphable: a year in his life.

Bought by Rhythm & News Service, Rhythm & News Service, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service and more


  • Added: Dec 20, 2011
  • Length: 04:31
  • Purchases: 13
Piece image
In 1965, the people of Toronto were revolting against City Hall. Over furniture. Made out of concrete.

Bought by Rhythm & News Service, WOUB, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:32
  • Purchases: 16
Piece image
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 Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio, Spokane Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:31
  • Purchases: 14

  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:29
  • Purchases: 18
Piece image
The Periodic Table knew what our universe was made out of even before we did.

Bought by Rhythm & News Service, WOUB, Spokane Public Radio, WMUU-LP, Rhythm & News Service and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 19
Piece image
Without their beeps and chimes, all of your modern conveniences would be very hard to use.

Bought by Rhythm & News Service, WOUB, Rhythm & News Service, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio, Troy Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:31
  • Purchases: 14
Piece image
I’m sorry, but if you don’t love maps, I don’t think we can be friends anymore.

Bought by Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, New Hampshire Public Radio, KHNS and more


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

  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:29
  • Purchases: 15
Piece image
Almost everything in modern life is designed to waste energy. If you feel OK about this--well, that's also by design.

Bought by Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:31
  • Purchases: 21
Piece image
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 Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:29
  • Purchases: 15

  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 18
Piece image
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 Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:32
  • Purchases: 15
Piece image
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 Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, Rhythm & News Service, Spokane Public Radio, 90.1 WFYI Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 19, 2011
  • Length: 04:30
  • Purchases: 18