99% Invisible

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. Learn more at 99percentinvisible.org.

  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    Constitution Breakdown #8: Jill Lepore

    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 people who have championed amendments.

    The 99% Invisible Breakdown of the Constitution

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    27 March 2026, 9:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 1 second
    Service Request #2: Why Is This Red Light So Damn Long?

    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 [email protected].

    Service Request is a production of 99% Invisible and Campside Media.

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    24 March 2026, 9:00 am
  • 34 minutes 57 seconds
    Service Request #1: What Happens When I Call 311?

    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 [email protected].

    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 whole week early. 

    Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus


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    17 March 2026, 2:49 pm
  • 32 minutes 40 seconds
    A Man, a Plan, a Canal—Mars!

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

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    10 March 2026, 5:15 pm
  • 47 minutes 12 seconds
    Where the F*** Are We?

    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.

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    3 March 2026, 6:15 pm
  • 1 hour 17 minutes
    Constitution Breakdown #7: California AG Rob Bonta

    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 office is using Article IV and the 10th Amendment to protect the state from federal overreach.

    The 99% Invisible Breakdown of the Constitution

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    27 February 2026, 6:15 pm
  • 31 minutes 33 seconds
    The Longest Fence in the World

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

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    24 February 2026, 6:15 pm
  • 41 minutes 59 seconds
    Molar City

    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.

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    17 February 2026, 6:15 pm
  • 33 minutes 58 seconds
    Artistic License Redux

    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.

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    10 February 2026, 6:15 pm
  • 39 minutes 22 seconds
    The Em Dash

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

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    3 February 2026, 6:15 pm
  • 1 hour 43 seconds
    Constitution Breakdown #6: Adam Liptak

    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.

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    30 January 2026, 6:15 pm
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