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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.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 4 days agonarrative35 min5-min read
Doktoro Esperanto
Esperanto, a constructed language designed in the 1880s to foster global peace through mutual understanding, persists today not as a universal tongue but as a vibrant subculture rooted in community, idealism, and shared effort. Despite never achieving its grand political vision, the language endures through annual gatherings, grassroots learning, and quiet acts of linguistic solidarity.
- 1 weeks agonarrative37 min5-min read
100 Objects #21: Window from the House of D
The women's House of Detention in Greenwich Village, built to reform 'unfeminine' women, inadvertently became a crucible for queer community and resistance, its open windows allowing communication that helped shape one of America’s most iconic LGBTQ+ neighborhoods.
- 1 weeks agonarrative29 min6-min read
Audio Guide of the Imperfections of a Perfect Masterpiece
This audio tour of the Guggenheim Museum, hosted by Roman Mars, celebrates Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece not as a static monument but as a living, evolving organism shaped by decades of adaptation, intervention, and human touch. It reveals how imperfections and modifications have become essential to the building’s enduring genius.
- 1 weeks agonarrative52 min5-min read
Tony Hawk's Real-Life Willy Wonka
Indy Austin is an experience designer who crafts deeply personal, often transgressive rituals—from funerals to serendipity interventions—that challenge societal norms and unlock emotional transformation. His work, likened to Willy Wonka’s whimsy by Tony Hawk, is less about spectacle and more about creating spaces where people confront truth, connection, and meaning.
- 2 weeks agonarrative43 min5-min read
The Problem With Football Helmets
The episode explores the fraught evolution of football helmets in America, revealing how safety innovations like the Guardian cap have become symbols of a deeper moral and cultural dilemma: whether a sport defined by violence can ever be made safe, especially as brain injuries like CTE devastate players’ lives. Despite growing awareness, football’s popularity remains undimmed, exposing a societal disconnect between spectatorship and responsibility.
- 3 weeks agonarrative28 min5-min read
(Not Just) Another Brick in the Wall
The episode explores the hidden history and cultural significance of bricks through the lens of Chicago’s architectural evolution, revealing how a humble material shaped a city and persists as a metaphor for permanence and craft. It lands because it transforms an overlooked building block into a symbol of resilience, identity, and urban connection.
- 4 weeks agonarrative52 min5-min read
100 Objects #20: AA Sobriety Chip
The Alcoholics Anonymous sobriety chip, a seemingly small piece of plastic, carries the weight of America’s fraught relationship with morality, religion, gender, and systemic exclusion. This episode reveals how AA emerged from the ashes of Prohibition and reflects deep cultural currents that continue to shape recovery, addiction treatment, and access to care in the U.S.
- Sep 29, 2026narrative32 min6-min read
Tootle of a Devilish Song
Yodeling, a traditional Swiss Alpine folk practice, evolved from a herders' communication tool into a global musical phenomenon, profoundly shaping American country music and now experiencing a creative revival in Switzerland through genre-blending young artists. The episode reveals how cultural exchange, commercialization, and identity politics transformed a regional sound into a worldwide influence.
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Invisible Choir
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Imaginary Worlds
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In-depth interviews exploring the personal impact of UFO contact and the broader UFO mystery.
The Peterman Pod
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Endless Thread
Untold histories and unsolved mysteries from online and real life, explored through investigative storytelling.
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Explores unexplained phenomena, conspiracy theories, and alleged government cover-ups throughout history.
Wonder
A brief weekly journey into the natural world through immersive soundscapes and mindful reflection.
1440 Explores
Explores the hidden science, history, and human stories behind everyday topics like memory, alcohol, credit cards, and artificial intelligence.
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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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When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
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No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Roman Mars.
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How often does 99% Invisible release new episodes?
99% Invisible publishes 2x weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
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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