99% Invisible
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An immigration reporter’s chance encounter in the desert reveals how borders shape our actions, our beliefs, and the way we see the world around us. Open Borders https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=45072 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 http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
A century-old shipwreck, a sea of glass, and the lifeboats that were never meant to save you. The Titanic Was The Lifeboat https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=45080 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 http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
After Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd last year, tens of thousands of people all over the world took to the streets to protest police violence against Black people. And if you look at images from these marches, you will probably start to notice a common color scheme -- one involving a lot of red, black, and green. The flag was invented to unite Black people all over the world living under racial repression. When it first came into existence, the flag posed some bold questions about where Black people owed their loyalty: was it to the nations where their lives were demeaned and threatened? Or to a new nation - one they would build entirely for themselves? For hundreds of thousands of Black people, the red-black-and-green symbolized the answer. The Red, the Black, and the Green https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=37514 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus https://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
We heard you. The chorus of voices asking “where is ? Where is Professor Elizabeth Joh to guide us through this madness? We need it now more than ever!” Well, here it is. We’re back with a special extra-long episode about Trump’s perverted use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport people without due process and how judges are trying to hold the administration accountable to the Constitution. Plus, we announce the launch of , where Elizabeth and Roman will tackle a different section of this 7600-word document each month, treating the Constitution as a text to be analyzed. The Return of Con Law https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=45843 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus https://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
A debilitating injury forces 99PI's Kurt Kohlstedt to confront new everyday challenges and seek out accessible design solutions for one-handed living. The full set of articles can be found at 99pi.org/adapt https://99percentinvisible.org/adapt/. Adapt or Design https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=45539 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus https://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
Why is it so hard to build anything in America? Ezra Klein explores how our good intentions led to a system that stifles progress, and what it would take to break free. Build, Interrupted: A Conversation with Ezra Klein https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=45078 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus https://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
A dusty surveillance file uncovers the story of love, betrayal, and the fight for Puerto Rico’s freedom. Foreign in a Domestic Sense https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=45076 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus https://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
Shortwave radio opened a portal to the world—then became a weapon in a high-stakes war of propaganda and power. The Divided Dial https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/divided-dial is a podcast series about the history of radio from WNYC's and longtime 99PI contributor, Katie Thornton https://www.itskatiethornton.com/. Fishing in the Night https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=45336 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus https://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
A single 👍 emoji sent over text was meant to say “got it”—but instead, it kicked off a $62,000 legal battle and raised the question: can an emoji seal a contract? 😅⚖️ https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=45069 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus https://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
At the January 6th Capitol insurrection, rioters waved Confederate, MAGA, and Trump-as-Rambo flags. Easy to miss without knowing the design was a bright yellow flag with three red stripes — the flag of South Vietnam. There were actually several confounding international flags present at the Capitol riot that day: the Canadian, Indian, South Korean flags, all were spotted somewhere in the mayhem. But what was peculiar about the Vietnamese flag being there was that it's not technically the flag of Vietnam but the country that no longer exists. And what this flag stands for (or should stand for) remains a really contentious issue for the Vietnamese American community. Changing Stripes https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=38059&post_type=episode Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
A goofy Shakira remix, a nervy penalty kick, and 60,000 fans turning banter into legend—welcome to the world of football chants. One-Nil to the Arsenal https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=45067 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
If you're one of the millions of Americans struggling with your tax forms today, you're not alone. Even Albert Einstein allegedly found income taxes to be "the hardest thing in the world to understand." But how did our tax system become so complicated? I've Got 1099 Problems... https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=44491 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
John Green uncovers how the world’s deadliest curable disease still thrives—and why everything, from cowboy hats to colonial borders, traces back to tuberculosis. Everything Is Tuberculosis https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=44178 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
Take a whirlwind tour of Memphis with the city’s most enthusiastic historian, uncovering duck parades, telecom turf wars, and a street named after a single day in 1934. A Walking Tour with Mr. Memphis https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=45084 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
In 1991, one of the strangest buildings in America opened — a 32-storey, stainless steel pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee. The Great American Pyramid https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=44180 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
A group of artists explored the back hallways of a mall in Providence, RI, and found the perfect place to build a private hangout. We interviewed the group's leader Michael Townsend a few years back, and he's now the subject of a new documentary called Secret Mall Apartment. Plus, mall history with Alexandra Lange. For showtimes and more information, visit secretmallapartment.com https://secretmallapartment.com. The stories in this episode originally aired in 2018 and 2022. Secret Mall Apartments https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=44866 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
When global trade reshapes a city, who pays the price—and who fights back? Beautiful West Oakland, California https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=44175 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
After we finished up a bunch of people were asking us what other books we’d been reading. A group of us got together and presented some of our recent favorites, and the choices were so good and surprising and charming, we're now sharing it widely. Here are the books covered in this episode: __ __ To hear new 99PI episodes ad-free (and the occasional bonus content), subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ https://www.siriusxm.com/podcasts-plus-subscription. What We're Reading https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43976 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus..
A tiny, unremarkable beetle hiding in the caves of Slovenia has an infamously unfortunate name—one that has sparked heated debates in the scientific world. A Beetle By Any Other Name https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43974 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
A film about a struggling architect, a style the world loves to hate— and Brutalism itself share more than just a name. Is it bold vision or concrete failure? The Brutalists https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43972 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
In the heart of Berlin’s Tempelhof-Schöneberg district sits a hulking, crumbling concrete cylinder—an abandoned relic of a Nazi plan to rebuild the city as a grand imperial capital. But this eerie structure isn’t just a forgotten engineering experiment; it’s a lasting monument to one of the Third Reich’s most colossal architectural failures. The Nazi Block https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43853 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.
Join Roman and Elliott one last time as they reflect on their journey with you all through https://bookshop.org/a/11658/9780394720241, exploring their favorite moments and answering listener questions in this bonus episode. If you finished with us (or know someone who did), get the 99PI Power Broker challenge coin to commemorate your achievement! Visit 99pi.org/store https://99pi.org/store to get the challenge coin and other 99PI merch. This event took place in our 99% Invisible Discord server https://discord.gg/99pi. Join us! The Power Broker Breakdown Wrap-Up https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=44064 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.
How did a simple painting transform into the world's most recognized depiction of Jesus? Head of Christ https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43850 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.
Last week, we delved into story of how the Tennessee Valley Authority, which started out as a public institution, ended up acting like a private for-profit company, and the lawsuit that attempted to finally bring the TVA to its heel. Today, Montana Public Radio’s podcast The Wide Open tells the story of a different lawsuit against the TVA that had even bigger consequences. In the 1970s, the fight to save a tiny fish called the snail darter turned the Endangered Species Act from a minor bit of federal law into the most powerful and controversial piece of environmental legislation of the past 50 years. The Wide Open https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43807 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.
What went wrong in Kingston, Tennessee, and what does it reveal about the messy legacy of public utilities turned corporate giants? Valley So Low https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43886 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.
The Power Broker Breakdown may have concluded, but if you're just tuning in (or if you just want a quick refresher), this episode is a compilation of the summary portions of the The Power Broker Breakdown series. The Power Broker Breakdown Breakdown https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43867 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.
A deadly desert crossing leaves survivors seeking refuge—and sparks a movement that defied the law and redefined the idea of sanctuary in America. This is the story of how faith, courage, and resistance collided with one of the biggest immigration battles in modern history. Sanctuary https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43845 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.
The story of an 2700 year old archive, its accidental preservation, and the unprecedented—and often funny—glimpse it gives us into the daily life of an ancient king. Ancient DMs https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43752 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.
Happy New Year! We're starting 2025 with four more mini stories about a sleepy button, electric signs, a very important sticker, and video you can smell. Mini-Stories: Volume 20 https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43599 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.
We've all got problems. Sometimes your problem is a massive roadblock in your life, or maybe it's this little thing that quietly annoys you that you've learned to grudgingly put up with. But regardless of the size of your problem, it would be so great if someone would just fix it for you. Not just fix it, hyperfix it. Today, we're playing a great story from Alex and his new show, /hyperfixedpod.com. Alex investigates why there's no door in a place where there really should be a door. You'll never shop for sour cream or shredded mozzarella the same way again. Hyperfixed: Dylan's Supermarket Cold Case https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=43603 Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes and get exclusive access to bonus content.
