99% Invisible

This is the eighth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution. This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article V , 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 pe...

What the world's most advanced traffic system can—and can't—do for the city that invented gridlock. 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 . Service Request is a production of 99% Invisible and Campside Media . Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of...

The surprising power of a simple phone number to connect a community. 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 . Service Request is a production of 99% Invisible and Campside Media . Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a wh...

How one wealthy, amateur astronomer convinced the world Martians were real. 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 da...

For centuries, the world's greatest minds were stumped by the deadly mystery of longitude, until an obsessive underdog entered the fray and changed navigation 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 .  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW...

This is the seventh episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution. This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article IV , which outlines the relationship between states and between states and the federal government. They add the 10th Amendment to the conversation, because that also talks about the states. Then, California Attorney General Rob Bonta joins to talk about how his off...

How a fence meant to protect sheep transformed the entire Australian landscape. 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 persona...

How a small Mexican border town transformed itself into the dental tourism capital of the world, where dental care costs up to 80% less than what it might cost in the United States. 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 Simpl...

Idaho was the first state to slap a slogan on a license plate, “Idaho Potatoes,” which may not seem like a big deal, but it turns out this idea would end up having outsized consequences, and not just for Idaho. Because what started in one state would soon spread. And when it did, the question of what should go on a license plate, and what shouldn't, would prove surprisingly contentious. Subscribe...

The strange history of a punctuation mark that makes writing feel human, and why people now think it proves the opposite. 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 informati...

This is the sixth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution. This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article III, which establishes the judicial branch, alongside New York Times chief legal affairs correspondent, Adam Liptak . 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 Podc...

Throughout Africa and beyond, Zimbabweans are known for choosing some of the most bold, head-turning English-language names. Zimbabwean producer Kim Chakanetsa tells the story of how her country's journey from colonial rule to independence shaped the nation's unique naming traditions. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.  S...

This week we're featuring Audio Flux , a short-form audio challenge where artists squeeze surprising stories into three minutes. Find out more about Audio Flux by visiting audioflux.org Follow Audio Flux on Instagram: @ audiofluxing Featured Audio Flux stories include: The Sound of Silence by Gregory Warner and Sana Krasikov In Between Silence by Talia Augustidis The Ghost on Side B by Katelyn Hal...

A young designer faces an impossible brief and discovers the spark that will define his legendary career. 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 col...

Performance changing gear, a Titanic era nurse with unbelievable resilience, and an ingenious art vending project reveal how innovation and endurance shape unexpected worlds. 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,...

From rogue stop signs to rooftop mini golf, discover how chaos and creativity quietly shape the urban world. 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...

This is the fifth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution. This month, Roman and Elizabeth turn to the rest of Article Two with former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden, talking about the experience of being a highly trained expert in an inherently political institution within the executive branch. Dr. Frieden was also the New York City Public Health Commissioner under Mayor B...

A glowing Vegas pyramid, a famously mistyped domain, and a long-delayed miracle investigation unfold in three unexpected tales. 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 inf...

From military parades to smoky clubs, one invention’s wild journey reveals how an instrument can become a symbol of rebellion and reinvention. 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.adsw...

A single diagonal step on a map sparks a legal war with huge consequences. 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 dat...

How Jane Jacob's urbanism dreams came to life on the most beloved kids' TV block. 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 perso...

This is the fourth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution. This month, Roman and Elizabeth turn to  Article Two , which establishes the executive branch, alongside former Secretary of Homeland Security  Janet Napolitano. Elizabeth also explains why Trump administration’s attacks on Venezuelan boats defy even the broadest interpretation of the president's war powers. Subs...

Writer Caroline Fraser argues a chilling link between industrial poison, deadly design, and a generation of serial killers in the Pacific Northwest. 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 pc...

People once dreamed of sidewalks that could whisk them across cities. Somehow, that dream ended up at the airport. 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 abou...

Comedy writer Elliott Kalan (The Daily Show, The Flop House , Mystery Science Theater 3000 , and co-host of the 99% Invisible Breakdown of The Power Broker ) spills the secrets of how he grows jokes from tiny ideas into full-blown laughs. Joke Farming: How to Write Comedy and Other Nonsense is out on Nov 12. Find it in your favorite bookstore. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episo...