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Edge of Your Seat
Episode 139
“A Chair is a difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier.” — Mies van der Rohe. The chair presents an interesting design challenge, because it i…
11 years, 4 months ago
O-U-I-J-A
Episode 138
The Ouija board is so simple and iconic that it looks like it comes from another time, or maybe another realm. The game is not as ancient as it was d…
11 years, 4 months ago
Good Bread
Episode 137
The first print advertisement for Wonder Bread came out before the bread itself. It stated only that “a wonder” was coming. In a lot of ways, the sta…
11 years, 4 months ago
Kickstart Radiotopia- A Storytelling Revolution
When you support Radiotopia, you are making sure 99% Invisible can keep coming to you weekly and you’ll be supporting our entire collective of award-…
11 years, 4 months ago
Lights Out
Episode 136
On July 13th, 1977, lightning struck an electricity transmission line in New York City, causing the line’s automatic circuit breaker to kick in. The …
11 years, 4 months ago
For Amusement Only
Episode 135
Everyone has tried it at some point. The authorities started turning a blind eye years ago, but it wasn’t officially legalized until the summer of 20…
11 years, 4 months ago
The Straight Line Is A Godless Line
Episode 134
Straight lines form the core of our built environment. Building in straight lines makes predicting costs and calculating structural loads easier, sin…
11 years, 5 months ago
Port of Dallas
Episode 133
There’s a photograph we have tacked to our studio at 99% Invisible HQ. The photo, taken 1899, shows three men, all looking very fashionable, suspende…
11 years, 5 months ago
Castle on the Park
Episode 132
On the southwest corner of Central Park West and 106th Street in New York City, there’s an enormous castle. It takes up the whole east end of the blo…
11 years, 5 months ago
Genesis Object
Episode 131
In the beginning, there was design. Before any other human discipline, even before the dawn of mankind its self, design was a practice passed down fr…
11 years, 5 months ago