About this episode
May 2024
"The Toynbee Convector" by Ray Bradbury
The world's only time traveler finally reveals his secrets. "The Toynbee Convector" © 1983 by Ray Bradbury Content advisory: suicide Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
43m 13s
Apr 2024
"The November Story" by Rebecca Makkai
A reality TV show producer tries to make love happen, on- and off-screen. “The November Story” is from MUSIC FOR WARTIME by Rebecca Makkai, published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.Find LeVar on Instagram Live on Monday, ... Show More
49m 59s
Apr 2024
"She Builds Quick Machines" by Lyndsie Manusos
Robotics, quick machines, fugitives -- none are exactly what they seem on the surface. Find more from the author at https://lyndsiekay.wordpress.com. And find LeVar on Instagram Live on Monday, May 6th from 6:30-8pm Pacific, celebrating 13 seasons of LeVar Burton Reads! Join us f ... Show More
38m 33s
Jun 2015
Voices in the Wire
<p>This week on 99% Invisible, we have two stories about the early days of broadcasting and home sound recording, produced by Radio Diaries and the Kitchen Sisters. The sounds that came out Frank Conrad’s Garage in 1919 and 1920 are … <a href="http://99percentinvisible.prx.org/20 ... Show More
38m 2s
Sep 2010
99% Noise
<p>This episode of 99% Invisible is all about acoustic design, the city soundscape, and how to make listening in shared spaces pleasant (or at the very least, possible). It features an interview with Dennis Paoletti from Shen Milsom & Wilke.</p>
<p><p>Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcas ... Show More
4m 49s
Oct 2025
Hidden Levels #4: Machinima
45m 8s
Oct 2025
Hidden Levels #2: Stick It to 'Em
41m 36s
Jun 2014
Song Exploder
<p>99% Invisible presents Song Exploder. A song is a product of design. It’s difficult to create an original melody, but that’s only the blueprint. Every element of a piece of music could be produced any number of ways, depending on which … <a href="http://99percentinvisible.prx. ... Show More
19m 20s
Feb 2011
Sounds of the Artificial World
<p>Without all the beeps and chimes, without sonic feedback, all of your modern conveniences would be very hard to use. If a device and its sounds are designed correctly, it creates a special “theater of the mind” that users completely … <a href="http://99percentinvisible.prx.org ... Show More
5m 19s
Dec 2014
Octothorpe
<p>If you want to follow conversation threads relating to this show on social media—whether Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, Tumblr—you know to look for the hashtag: #99pi. In our current digital age, the hashtag identifies movements, events, happenings, brands—topics of all … <a ... Show More
14m 26s
Dec 2020
Mini-Stories: Volume 9
Each year, 99% Invisible producers select short design stories to talk about with host Roman Mars. Some of these were just too brief to make into full 99pi episodes, but many also reveal aspects of how we find ideas for (and ultimately make) the show. In this collection, we'll ta ... Show More
40m 36s
Oct 2025
Hidden Levels #1: Mr. Boomshakalaka
37m 16s
Jan 2021
Mini-Stories: Volume 10
In this set of short stories, 99% Invisible producers talked with host Roman Mars about everything from climate-changing sheep to the persistent urban legend behind the invention of a space pen. Mini-Stories: Volume 10 99% Invisible’s Impact Design coverage is supported by Autode ... Show More
40m 21s
If you’ve been listening to LeVar's new podcast Sound Detectives, you know there's something irresistible about a missing sound. That’s why we teamed up with our friends at 99% Invisible to tell the story of the first music streaming service, a 200-ton instrument called the Telharmonium whose sound has been lost to history.
99% Invisible is a podcast about ... Show More
<p>Back in the 90s, artists turned video games into movie sets, and their wildest ideas are finally hitting documentaries.</p><p><a href="https://99pi.org/hl" target="_blank">Hidden Levels</a> is a production of 99% Invisible and WBUR's <a href="https://link.mgln.ai/99percentinvi ... Show More
<p>From airplanes to Pac-Man to the battlefield, the joystick has quietly shaped the way humans connect with machines.</p><p><a href="https://99pi.org/hl" target="_blank">Hidden Levels</a> is a production of 99% Invisible and WBUR's <a href="https://link.mgln.ai/99percentinvisibl ... Show More
<p>Step back into the ’90s, when dunks broke backboards, catchphrases caught fire, and one arcade game turned every kid into an NBA superstar.</p><p><a href="https://99pi.org/hl" target="_blank">Hidden Levels</a> is a production of 99% Invisible and WBUR's <a href="https://link.m ... Show More
