99% Invisible cover art

99% Invisible

99% Invisible

By: Roman Mars
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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. Learn more at 99percentinvisible.org.Copyright © 2025 Roman Mars. All rights reserved. Art
Episodes
  • 100 Objects #6: "Sharpened Screwdriver"
    Jun 26 2026

    In this episode, Roman and historians Heather Ann Thompson and Elliot Williams tell the story of the sharpened screwdriver: the object at the heart of the 1984 Bernhard Goetz subway shooting. In a difficult moment in New York City, four Black teenagers were transformed in the public imagination into armed criminals. What follows is a gripping account of how misinformation takes hold, how fear shapes public opinion, and how one narrative can ripple outward – echoing through decades of similar cases that continue to unfold today.

    A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    40 mins
  • The Most Exciting Change America Has Ever Seen
    Jun 23 2026

    Billions of state quarters disappeared from circulation...and that was exactly the plan.

    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.

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    43 mins
  • 100 Objects #5: Blue Back Speller
    Jun 19 2026

    In this episode, Roman and historian Imani Perry follow the Webster Blue Back Speller from the early days of the United States, to the heart of Black intellectual life. Through the lives of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, Roman and Imani uncover how a single object became a gateway to literacy, self-determination, and an enduring debate about what education, citizenship, and freedom should mean in America.

    A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

    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.

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    46 mins
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