99% Invisible

The podcast episode "579- Towers of Silence" delves into the ancient Zoroastrian death ritual practiced by the Parsi community in Mumbai, India, where the deceased are placed atop Towers of Silence to undergo a sky burial. This practice, deeply rooted in the community's religious beliefs, involves leaving the bodies exposed to the elements and vultures, which are considered sacred. The ritual reflects the Zoroastrians' profound respect for nature, emphasizing the purity of earth, fire, and water, which must not be contaminated by human remains. However, the tradition faces significant challenges due to the drastic decline in the vulture population, primarily caused by the veterinary use of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac. This decline has disrupted the sky burial process, leaving the community grappling with the slow decomposition of bodies and the consequent social and environmental issues. The episode explores the community's attempts to adapt, including the controversial introduction of solar concentrators to accelerate decomposition and the proposal to create a vulture aviary to revive the traditional practice. The story also touches on broader themes of cultural preservation, environmental impact, and the intersection of tradition and modernity. As Mumbai's landscape changes and the Parsi population dwindles, the community faces tough choices about how to maintain their traditions in a rapidly modernizing world. The episode highlights the complexities of maintaining cultural heritage and the impact of human activity on wildlife, raising important questions about how communities can honor their past while embracing the future.

In this episode of the 99% Invisible Breakdown, the focus is on the influential role of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her insights into the legacy of Robert Moses, particularly in relation to her own district. Ocasio-Cortez discusses how Moses' decisions, especially the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway, have had long-lasting impacts on community connectivity and social dynamics within the Bronx. She highlights the racial and economic implications of Moses' urban planning decisions, which were often detrimental to minority and low-income communities. Ocasio-Cortez also reflects on her personal and family history, noting how her father's architectural career was inspired by the urban decay and rebuilding in the Bronx during Moses' era. This personal connection to the district she now represents deepens her understanding of the socio-political landscape shaped by Moses' infrastructure projects. The discussion also covers the broader implications of Moses' work on public housing and urban development. Ocasio-Cortez criticizes the decline in public housing quality and support, linking it to broader racial and economic injustices that arose from policies implemented during Moses' time. She advocates for a renewed commitment to public housing and infrastructure that genuinely serves the community's needs. Throughout the episode, Ocasio-Cortez emphasizes the importance of understanding historical context to address current urban planning and housing issues effectively. Her perspective as both a representative and a resident of the areas affected by Moses' legacy provides a unique and critical view of the lasting influence of his work on New York City's urban fabric.

In episode 578 of the podcast "99% Invisible," host Roman Mars explores the world of pasta with Dan Pashman, creator of the Sporkful Food Podcast and inventor of the Cascatelli pasta shape. Pashman discusses his journey to revolutionize pasta by creating a new shape that maximizes "forkability," "sauceability," and "tooth sinkability." After three years of development and facing numerous rejections, Pashman successfully introduced Cascatelli, which has gained national recognition and was named one of Time Magazine's best inventions of the year. Despite the success of Cascatelli, Pashman noticed a lack of variety in the sauces people used with it, which inspired him to write a cookbook titled "Anything's Pastable." The cookbook features 81 inventive pasta recipes that move beyond traditional Italian sauces, incorporating global flavors and ingredients to expand the pasta-sauce repertoire. The recipes include unconventional combinations like kimchi carbonara and cacio e pepe with chili crisp, aiming to inspire more creativity in pasta dishes. The podcast episode delves into the design and thought process behind the cookbook, emphasizing the importance of presenting food in a way that tells a story about its origins and the creator's intentions. Pashman's approach to the cookbook is to make it accessible and relatable, ensuring that the food photography and presentation resonate with home cooks rather than appearing overly polished or professional. Additionally, the episode touches on Pashman's research trip to Italy, where he explores lesser-known regional dishes and the evolution of Italian pasta culture. This journey not only influences the recipes in his cookbook but also provides insights into the adaptability and innovation within traditional cuisines. Pashman's exploration underscores the dynamic nature of food and its ability to evolve and adapt over time, reflecting broader cultural shifts and exchanges.

In the episode titled "The Society of Ambiance Makers and Elegant Persons" from 99% Invisible, the focus is on a unique cultural phenomenon originating from the Central African cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa. This phenomenon revolves around a group of individuals known as the Sapeurs, who, since the 1970s, have been known for their distinctive and flamboyant fashion sense. Dressed in technicolor three-piece suits and extravagant accessories, these Congolese men and women turn city streets into their personal catwalks, showcasing a vibrant remix of classic menswear that is both irreverent and joyous. The Sapeurs, or Sapors, as they are also known, represent a form of dapper agitation and rebellion against the stereotypical portrayals of sub-Saharan Africa and the difficult realities of life in the Congo. Through their elaborate attire, they assert their agency and defy the material conditions of their lives. This movement of dressing elegantly is seen as an act of resistance, transforming European suits into authentic Congolese expressions of style and identity. The episode traces the origins of this sartorial movement back to the influence of Black American jazz musicians in the 1940s and the subsequent adoption and adaptation of their fashion by Congolese Roomba musicians. The narrative also delves into the historical context of the Congo, highlighting the colonial legacy and the oppressive regime of Mobutu Sese Seko, who attempted to suppress Western influences, including the wearing of suits. Despite these challenges, the Sapeurs continued to embrace their extravagant fashion as a form of political statement and cultural pride. The movement has since gained international recognition, influencing artists, designers, and filmmakers, and has been embraced as a national heritage in the Congo. The episode "The Society of Ambiance Makers and Elegant Persons" sheds light on the power of fashion as a tool for self-expression, cultural identity, and resistance. It celebrates the Sapeurs' ability to create beauty and elegance in the face of adversity, turning their attire into a symbol of resilience and defiance. Through their story, the episode explores broader themes of colonialism, globalization, and the universal desire for dignity and recognition.

Episode 576 of 99% Invisible, titled "Chambre de Bonne," delves into the unique and historical housing type found in Paris, France, known as the chambre de bonne. These small, often cramped apartments were originally designed to house servants in the upper floors of Parisian buildings during the major redesign of the city in the 1850s, led by Georges-Eugène Haussmann under the commission of Emperor Napoleon III. The episode follows the personal experiences of Clementine Spillure and the show's producer, Jean Bohesek, who both lived in chambres de bonne, providing an intimate look at the realities of living in such spaces. The chambre de bonne represents a complex piece of Paris's architectural and social history. Initially, these rooms were barely livable spaces intended for young women moving to the city to work as domestic servants for the bourgeoisie. They were small, lacked basic amenities, and were poorly ventilated, leading to health issues among the servants. Over time, as societal attitudes towards domestic work changed and labor laws evolved, the conditions of these rooms improved slightly. By the mid-20th century, chambres de bonne had become a popular housing option for students and young people moving to Paris, despite their small size and the physical challenges they presented, such as lack of space and privacy. In recent years, the chambre de bonne has become both a valuable commodity and a disappearing housing type. The episode highlights how these apartments are being combined into larger units or renovated into luxury spaces, driven by the high demand for housing in Paris and changes in building regulations. This transformation reflects broader issues of affordability and class disparity in the city. The narrative is enriched by the personal stories of those who have lived in chambres de bonne, including their initial enchantment with the idea of living in Paris and the eventual realization of the difficulties posed by such cramped living conditions. "Chambre de Bonne" not only explores the architectural and historical significance of these unique Parisian apartments but also touches on the personal and emotional impacts of living in such spaces. It raises important questions about the future of affordable housing in Paris and the need for innovative solutions to preserve and improve these iconic parts of the city's housing landscape.

In this special episode of 99% Invisible, Roman Mars takes listeners on a tour of Athens, Georgia, a city with a rich history and unique traditions. Sponsored by the Lexus GX and Sirius XM, the episode is part of a series where Mars explores the design features and interesting spots in cities he loves. Athens holds a special place in Mars' heart, as he lived there in the mid-90s while attempting to pursue a PhD in plant genetics at the University of Georgia (UGA). Although he did not graduate, Mars' connection to the city and its culture remains strong. One of the first landmarks Mars discusses is the university's arch, a symbol of wisdom, justice, and moderation. According to tradition, only graduates of UGA are supposed to walk under the arch, a tradition Mars respects by walking around it. This tradition is deeply ingrained in the community, highlighting the power of local customs and beliefs. Mars also touches on the concept of adverse possession and how it relates to public and private property, using the arch and its open gateway as a metaphor for access and ownership. The episode also delves into the darker aspects of Athens' history, particularly a plaque on the UGA campus that uses language associated with the Lost Cause ideology. Mars criticizes the plaque for its white supremacy language and calls for a more inclusive and accurate representation of history. This leads to a broader discussion on the importance of public art and historical markers in telling the full story of a place. Mars then shifts focus to more whimsical and positive aspects of Athens, such as the Tree That Owns Itself, a local legend about a tree that was allegedly deeded ownership of itself and the land surrounding it. This story, while legally dubious, represents the community's values and commitment to preservation. Mars also highlights the rails-to-trails movement, exemplified by a local park that was converted from an old railway route, showcasing the community's ability to repurpose and rejuvenate spaces for public use. Throughout the episode, Mars weaves in discussions about local culture, including the impact of the band R.E.M. on Athens and the invasive yet iconic kudzu vine. The episode concludes with Mars and his wife visiting a local record store, embracing the city's vibrant music scene. Overall, the episode paints a picture of Athens, GA, as a city with a complex history, rich traditions, and a strong sense of community. Mars' personal connection to the city adds depth to the narrative, making it a compelling exploration of how design, history, and culture intersect in one of the cities he loves.

In the episode titled "Autism Pleasantville" from 99% Invisible, journalist Lauren Ober explores the concept of designing spaces that cater to the needs of individuals with autism and sensory disabilities. Lauren, who received an autism diagnosis as a middle-aged woman, shares her personal journey of understanding her condition beyond the stereotypical traits associated with autism in men and boys. She introduces the idea of "Autism Pleasantville," a hypothetical world designed to eliminate sensory irritants and accommodate the unique needs of autistic individuals. Lauren's exploration leads her to Mesa, Arizona, the world's first autism-certified city. Mark Garcia, CEO of Visit Mesa and father of an autistic child, initiated the city's Autism Inclusion Program to make Mesa a more welcoming place for autistic individuals and their families. The program involves training for various sectors, including healthcare, education, and hospitality, to better understand and accommodate the sensory needs of autistic people. Despite these efforts, Lauren and her autistic friend Thomas Kaufman find that the practical application of these accommodations can be challenging, as what works for one autistic person may not work for another. The episode also features insights from architects and designers who are working towards creating more inclusive spaces. Magda Mostafa, a professor of design and architecture for autism, has developed research-based design guidelines called ASPEX, which focus on acoustics, spatial sequencing, escape spaces, compartmentalization, transition, safety, and sensory zoning. These guidelines aim to integrate autistic needs into the design process from the beginning. Additionally, architects Bryony Roberts and Lindsay Harkema discuss their project "Neurodiverse City," which reimagines public spaces in New York City to support neurodiversity. Despite the challenges and the lack of a one-size-fits-all solution, the episode highlights the importance of considering neurodivergent needs in design and planning. It suggests that by including autistic individuals in the design process and focusing on accommodations that benefit a wider range of people, it is possible to create more welcoming and inclusive environments for everyone.

In episode 574 titled "The Monster Under the Sink," 99% Invisible delves into the history and impact of the garbage disposal unit, an appliance that has become a staple in American kitchens. The story begins in Jasper, Indiana, a small town that made a radical decision in the 1950s to ban garbage. The town's initiative, led by Mayor Herb Tinn, was to eliminate organic waste collection and encourage residents to use garbage disposers instead. This move was unprecedented and aimed at addressing public health concerns, including reducing the population of flies and preventing diseases like polio and cholera, which were believed to be spread through waste. The garbage disposer, or disposal, was introduced as a solution to the growing problem of food waste in urban areas. Historically, people were less wasteful, repurposing food scraps and repairing broken items. However, the commercialization of food and the migration of people to cities led to an increase in organic waste, posing both a smelly nuisance and a public health risk. The invention of the garbage disposer by General Electric in the 1930s was seen as a revolutionary way to manage kitchen waste by grinding it up and washing it away. Jasper, Indiana, became a test site for the widespread adoption of garbage disposers, with nearly 95% of residents installing the appliance. The initiative, known as the Jasper Plan, was hailed as a success by some, including General Electric, which celebrated the town's reduction in flies and garbage. However, the plan's effectiveness in eradicating diseases like polio was questionable, as advancements in vaccines and wastewater treatment played more significant roles in public health improvements. Despite the initial enthusiasm, the environmental impact of garbage disposers has been a topic of debate. The EPA has expressed concerns about the energy wasted in processing food waste through the wastewater system and the methane emissions resulting from ground-up food. Additionally, the introduction of fats, oils, and greases into sewer systems can lead to blockages and maintenance issues. While Jasper's wastewater facility has found ways to recapture some energy and use treated sewage as fertilizer, the practice of applying sludge to farmland has raised concerns about groundwater pollution. The episode concludes by reflecting on the broader issue of food waste and the importance of reducing it at the source. The convenience of garbage disposers has made it easy to overlook the environmental consequences of disposing of food waste down the drain. The story of Jasper, Indiana, serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in managing waste and the need for more sustainable practices.

In this episode of the 99% Invisible Breakdown of The Power Broker, hosts Roman Mars and Elliot Kalin, along with guest David Sims, delve into chapters 11 through 15 of Robert Caro's monumental work, focusing on the theme "The Use of Power." These chapters chronicle Robert Moses' rise to power and his strategic maneuvers to transform New York's landscape, particularly through the development of parks and parkways on Long Island. David Sims, a movie critic for The Atlantic and co-host of the podcast Blank Check with Griffin and David, shares his insights on Moses' complex character and the implications of his actions. The discussion highlights Moses' early years, his relentless pursuit of power, and his ability to navigate the political landscape to achieve his ambitious goals. Despite facing opposition, Moses leverages his connections, particularly with Governor Al Smith, to secure funding and legislative support for his projects. His vision for Long Island involves creating a network of parks connected by parkways, with Jones Beach as the centerpiece. However, Moses' methods often involve bending or outright ignoring legal and ethical boundaries, leading to conflicts with both political figures and ordinary citizens. Moses' relationship with Al Smith plays a crucial role in his success. Smith's populist approach and Moses' strategic thinking complement each other, enabling them to push through significant reforms and projects. However, Moses' tactics also alienate many, including members of the State Parks Council and local landowners. His willingness to prioritize his projects over the interests of others, and his aggressive behavior towards those who oppose him, mark a significant shift in his approach to power. The episode also touches on Moses' personal life, highlighting his workaholic nature and the toll it takes on his relationships and well-being. Despite the controversies surrounding his methods, Moses' achievements in park and parkway development leave a lasting impact on New York's landscape. The hosts and guest discuss the complexities of Moses' legacy, acknowledging both the positive outcomes of his work and the ethical questions it raises. Overall, this episode provides a nuanced exploration of Robert Moses' use of power, his vision for New York, and the consequences of his actions. Through their discussion, the hosts and David Sims offer listeners a deeper understanding of one of the most influential and controversial figures in New York's history.

Episode 573 of 99% Invisible, titled "Toyetic," delves into the phenomenon of toyetic franchises, focusing on the intricate relationship between toys, media, and advertising that characterized the 1980s. The episode begins by setting the stage in 1984, a pivotal year for sci-fi and fantasy, marking the emergence of iconic franchises like Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. These franchises epitomized the toyetic concept, where toys and media properties influence each other in a continuous loop, often leading to a blurring of lines between storytelling and marketing. The narrative then shifts to explore the origins and evolution of these franchises, starting with the Transformers. The partnership between Hasbro and the Japanese company Takara Tomy led to the creation of Transformers, robots that could transform into vehicles and other objects. Marvel Comics was enlisted to develop character profiles and backstories, laying the groundwork for a successful toy line and animated series. Bob Budiansky, a writer at Marvel, played a crucial role in naming and characterizing these robots, including iconic figures like Optimus Prime and Megatron. The Transformers franchise quickly became a cultural and commercial juggernaut, illustrating the power of the toyetic model. In contrast, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles began as an independent comic book created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The comic's unexpected popularity caught the attention of marketers and led to a partnership with Playmates Toys. Unlike Transformers, Eastman and Laird were deeply involved in the adaptation of their creation into toys and an animated series, ensuring that the essence of their original vision was preserved. The Turtles franchise exploded in popularity, becoming a defining part of 1980s and 1990s pop culture. However, the pressures of managing a massive toyetic empire eventually led to tensions between Eastman and Laird, illustrating the challenges of maintaining creative control over a wildly successful franchise. The episode concludes by reflecting on the impact of toyetic franchises on both children and the creators behind them. While these franchises provided a rich playground for imagination and storytelling, they also raised questions about the commercialization of children's media and the blurring of lines between entertainment and advertising. The legacy of toyetic franchises like Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continues to resonate, demonstrating the enduring appeal of these imaginative worlds and the complex interplay between creativity and commerce.

The podcast episode titled "WARNING: This Podcast Contains Chemicals Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer or Other Reproductive Harm" delves into the story of Proposition 65 warnings in California, exploring their origins, impact, and the complexities they introduce for businesses and consumers alike. The narrative begins with 99PI producer Vivian Leigh's personal encounter with a Proposition 65 warning upon moving into a new apartment, sparking curiosity about the effectiveness and purpose of these ubiquitous warnings. Proposition 65, formally known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, was introduced as a ballot initiative by environmental lawyer David Rowe. It mandated that businesses in California disclose the presence of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm in their products or premises. The law aimed to inform consumers and encourage companies to reformulate products to eliminate hazardous chemicals. Despite its well-intentioned goals, Proposition 65 has led to a proliferation of warning labels on a vast array of products, from household items to food, often causing confusion and desensitization among consumers. The episode highlights the challenges businesses face in navigating the law, particularly smaller companies and those outside California, due to the extensive list of chemicals covered and the potential for costly litigation. Proposition 65 enforcement is primarily driven by private lawsuits, leading to criticism that the law has spawned a cottage industry of "bounty hunters" who target companies for financial gain rather than public health. The podcast also touches on the broader implications of Proposition 65, noting that while the law has prompted some companies to remove harmful chemicals from their products, it has also led to "overwarning" and questions about the effectiveness of such labels in protecting public health. Despite its flaws, Proposition 65 represents a unique approach to environmental regulation, pushing companies globally to consider the safety of their products and serving as a reminder of the ongoing struggle to balance public health concerns with economic interests.

In the episode titled "Roman Mars Describes Santa Fe As It Is" from the podcast 99% Invisible, Roman Mars explores the unique architectural and cultural landscape of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The episode is part of a three-part series sponsored by Lexus GX and Sirius XM, focusing on the design features and architecture of cities Mars loves. Santa Fe's distinctive adobe architecture, deeply influenced by its high desert terrain, is highlighted as a key aspect of the city's identity. Early builders utilized the abundant dirt and clay to create adobe bricks due to the scarcity of other building materials, leading to the development of the city's characteristic earthen and brown buildings. The episode delves into the history of Santa Fe, particularly how the completion of the Santa Fe Railroad, which paradoxically did not pass directly through Santa Fe, led to economic struggles and a shrinking population. In response, city leaders focused on tourism, adopting the 1912 plan which mandated that new developments adhere to the traditional Santa Fe style, effectively creating a citywide architectural brand. This initiative preserved traditional buildings like the Palace of the Governors and encouraged new constructions in the Santa Fe style, blending modern materials with traditional adobe aesthetics. Mars also discusses the cultural significance of Frito Pie, a local culinary staple, and its contested origins between Santa Fe and Texas. The episode touches on the importance of water management in the region, exemplified by the Acequia Madre, a 400-year-old irrigation ditch that reflects the area's agricultural history and ongoing community efforts to manage water resources collectively. The narrative shifts to the impact of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project on the area, with Santa Fe serving as a gateway to the secret Los Alamos laboratory. The episode concludes with a visit to the Dale Ball Trails, a network of public trails made possible by the efforts of Dale Ball and the Santa Fe Conservation Trust, showcasing the community's commitment to preserving and enjoying the natural landscape. Throughout the episode, Mars weaves together the architectural, historical, and cultural threads that define Santa Fe, presenting a city that balances its rich heritage with modern innovations and community spirit. The episode is a tribute to Santa Fe's unique charm, its significance in American history, and the efforts of its residents to preserve and celebrate their city's identity.

The episode "The Real Book" from 99% Invisible delves into the history and impact of a significant but illegal publication in the jazz community. Since the mid-1970s, almost every jazz musician has owned a copy of The Real Book, a collection of sheet music for hundreds of jazz standards, all meticulously notated by hand. Despite its homemade appearance, The Real Book became an essential tool for jazz musicians, offering a comprehensive compilation of tunes that were otherwise scattered across various sources. The Real Book originated at Berklee College of Music in Boston, created by two students who saw the need for a modern, reliable fake book that catered to the needs of contemporary jazz musicians. Unlike previous fake books, which were often illegible and contained outdated music, The Real Book included new songs from modern jazz musicians and updated classics with alternate chord changes. The book was produced without permission from music publishers or songwriters, making it a totally unlicensed publication. Despite this, it quickly spread beyond Berklee, copied and sold in various cities and eventually around the world. The episode also explores the broader implications of The Real Book on jazz music and education. While it became the unofficial official handbook for jazz students, it also raised concerns about copyright issues and the codification of jazz, an art form known for its improvisation and individual expression. Critics argue that The Real Book, by standardizing how certain tunes are played, may have inadvertently constrained the creative freedom that is central to jazz. However, others see it as a valuable educational tool that has helped disseminate jazz music to wider audiences. In the mid-2000s, a legal version of The Real Book was finally published by Hal Leonard, a print music publishing company. This version sought to maintain the original's homespun look while ensuring that composers and songwriters were compensated for their work. Despite the controversies and challenges surrounding The Real Book, its legacy as a pivotal resource for jazz musicians remains undisputed. The episode concludes with reflections on the anonymity of The Real Book's creators and the ongoing debate about the role of such publications in the learning and performance of jazz music.

The podcast "Significant Others" delves into the lives of individuals who, though not widely recognized, have significantly influenced historical figures and, by extension, the course of history itself. The first episode focuses on Peggy Shippen, the lesser-known wife of Benedict Arnold, whose name is infamously linked to treason against the United States. The narrative suggests that without Peggy, Arnold's betrayal might never have occurred, highlighting her influence over him and her own complex character. Upon Arnold's arrival in Philadelphia, he entered a city devastated by war, with the exception of the affluent area where Peggy Shippen resided. Arnold, known for his bravery and lack of tact in public relations, quickly integrated into the high society of Philadelphia, moving into a mansion previously occupied by the British and continuing the social practices of the enemy forces. His attraction to Peggy, who was celebrated not only for her beauty but also for her intellect and political savvy, marked the beginning of a relationship that would alter the course of American history. Peggy Shippen, despite her young age, was portrayed as a woman of significant intellect and political interest, traits likely nurtured by her father's emphasis on education. Her engagement to Arnold, despite initial reluctance and the disapproval of her father, showcased her ability to navigate and influence the social and political dynamics of her time. Arnold's courtship, filled with passionate letters and strategic social maneuvers, eventually won over both Peggy and her father, leading to their engagement. The podcast episode invites listeners to explore the untold story of Peggy Shippen's impact on Benedict Arnold and the American Revolution, suggesting that her role was far more significant than commonly acknowledged. Through this narrative, "Significant Others" aims to shed light on the individuals who, from the shadows, have shaped the world in profound ways.

In the episode titled "You Are What You Watch," 99% Invisible delves into the profound impact that movies and television have on our perceptions and actions, often in ways we might not fully appreciate. The episode begins with an anecdote about Ronald Reagan's first day in office, where he requested to see the war room, a concept he believed to exist based on its depiction in the 1964 Stanley Kubrick film, "Dr. Strangelove." This story sets the stage for a broader discussion on how film and television not only reflect but also shape societal norms, expectations, and even policy. Walt Hickey, a data journalist and author, argues that the media we consume plays a significant role in shaping our individual and collective identities. He suggests that films and TV shows do more than entertain; they influence our career choices, our understanding of complex issues, and even our aspirations. The episode explores several examples of this phenomenon, including how the space race was popularized through media collaborations between Collier's magazine, Disney, and former Nazi scientist Werner Von Braun, leading to a significant shift in public opinion towards space exploration. The narrative then shifts to discuss the reciprocal relationship between Hollywood and various U.S. government agencies, particularly the military. Through films like "Top Gun," the military has been able to influence public perception and recruitment by collaborating with filmmakers, offering access to equipment and locations in exchange for script approval. This relationship highlights the power of media to shape public understanding and attitudes towards institutions and their roles in society. Additionally, the episode touches on the misconceptions that films can create about real-world processes, such as bank heists, which are often depicted in a far more dramatic and less accurate manner than they occur in reality. This leads to a broader discussion on the impact of police procedurals and crime dramas on public perceptions of crime rates and policing, illustrating how media can distort reality and influence public opinion and policy. Finally, the episode concludes with an intriguing look at how external factors, such as tax codes, have historically influenced the film industry, shaping the types of movies that get made and how they are funded. This example serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between societal structures and the media landscape, further emphasizing the central thesis that we are, indeed, what we watch.

In the episode titled "The Power Broker #2 Jamelle Bouie" from the 99% Invisible podcast, esteemed historian, New York Times opinion columnist, and TikTok superstar Jamel Bouie joins hosts Roman Mars and Elliot Kalin to delve into the intricate world of Robert Moses, as detailed in the book "The Power Broker" by Robert Caro. Despite Bouie's initial unfamiliarity with the book, his expertise in contextualizing history provides valuable insights into the era and the monumental impact of Moses' career. The episode begins by exploring the early failures and eventual rise of Robert Moses, highlighting his transition from a failed public servant to a key figure in New York's political and architectural landscape. The narrative follows Moses' journey, starting from his nearly ended career in public service to his pivotal role in reorganizing the state government under the guidance of Belle Moskowitz and Governor Al Smith. This period marks Moses' first significant exposure to the power dynamics and political maneuvering that would define his career. As Moses gains influence, the episode examines his ambitious vision for New York's parks and infrastructure, showcasing his ability to navigate the complex political and social landscape of the time. His strategic use of legislation and political connections allows him to secure unprecedented control over the development of parks and parkways, laying the groundwork for his future projects that would reshape New York. The discussion also touches on the broader historical context, including the political reform movements of the early 20th century, the role of political machines like Tammany Hall, and the evolving landscape of American politics and urban planning. Bouie's commentary sheds light on the intricate balance between idealism and pragmatism in Moses' approach, as well as the broader implications of his work on the urban environment and society. Throughout the episode, the hosts and Bouie engage in a lively and insightful conversation, weaving together historical facts, personal anecdotes, and critical analysis to paint a comprehensive picture of Robert Moses' legacy. The episode not only offers a deep dive into Moses' career but also prompts listeners to reflect on the nature of power, the impact of urban planning on communities, and the complexities of historical narratives.

The White Castle fast food chain has a unique claim in American history. Opened in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, it is considered to be the first restaurant that resembles what we now know as fast food. White Castle standardized operations with consistent store layouts, uniforms, food preparation, and customer service. This allowed customers to reliably get an affordable meal quickly. The signature small square hamburgers were designed to cook faster. White Castle brought the hamburger into the mainstream at a time when ground beef was not trusted. Through clever marketing portraying cleanliness and purity, it convinced the middle class that hamburgers were safe and modern. The chain expanded rapidly through the Midwest and East Coast, its distinctive buildings acting like beacons. This success spawned many copycats in what became a hamburger craze. While White Castle pioneered fast food, chain giant McDonald's ultimately overtook it in reach and fame. Opening in 1940, McDonald's drew lessons from White Castle but did something it refused to: franchise locations. This allowed faster national growth. With its roadside locations, McDonald's came to epitomize fast food for most Americans. White Castle remains relatively obscure outside its geographical pockets. Today, White Castle leans into its cult status. With the tagline "Feed Your Crave," its limited accessibility builds up demand amongst loyal fans. For them, White Castle becomes a beloved indulgence whenever they can get to one. The company courts these devotees with over-the-top merchandising and events like its annual Valentine's Day fine dining pop-up "Love Castle." For fans, a White Castle meal becomes nostalgic, delightful, and uniquely American.

The episode explores the iconic "interblock parks" found throughout Sofia, Bulgaria. These green spaces between apartment buildings are a core part of the city's urban landscape. Reporter Andrew Anderson moved to Sofia from the UK and was fascinated by the interblock parks near his apartment. He met reporter Ashira Morris, who shared his intrigue. The parks felt special, reminding them of college campuses back home. The episode traces the history of the interblock parks back to Bulgaria's communist era. After World War II, Bulgaria underwent rapid industrialization and its capital Sofia transformed from a small city to an industrial center. Inspired by Soviet urban planning and the work of Le Corbusier, Bulgarian planners embraced the "Garden City" concept. They believed interspersing nature and apartment towers would create an egalitarian urban utopia. Land was nationalized and farms became construction sites for neighborhoods with kindergartens, schools, and of course, interblock parks. Initially the parks were maintained but funding dried up over time. After communism fell in 1989, Bulgaria privatized land. The interblock parks lacked protected status, so many were sold off and developed or left derelict. Today Sofia has lost over half its green space from 30 years ago. However, some parks remain untouched and a new generation is starting to appreciate and fight for them. The fate of the interblock parks remains undetermined, but their history illustrates the tension between public and private space in Sofia's journey to democracy.

The podcast begins by introducing Kristin Urquiza, who tragically lost her father Mark to COVID-19 in 2020. Mark was a healthy 65-year-old, but he believed COVID was under control and decided to attend a birthday party shortly after lockdown orders were lifted in Arizona. He contracted COVID at the party and died alone in the ICU a few weeks later. Kristin wrote a scathing obituary for her father that blamed politicians for mishandling the pandemic response and contributing to his death. The obituary went viral and Kristin began speaking out about the losses from COVID. She talked to thousands of people who lost loved ones and realized there was no concerted effort to memorialize the tragedy of COVID-19. So Kristin launched a nonprofit called Marked By COVID to advocate for a national COVID memorial. The podcast discusses the complexities around memorialization and how communities grapple with how to remember traumatic events. Kristin felt strongly that the memorial needed to focus on the voices of those impacted rather than top-down decisions from academics or institutions. Over months of discussion, the nonprofit settled on a memorial design that utilized augmented reality through a partnership with Snapchat. At an unveiling event, Kristin and others who lost loved ones to COVID shared stories and memories. The memorial prototype featured an empty plinth that visitors could view through Snapchat to see an infinity vortex of photos and obituaries swirling into the sky. It provided an intimate, human memorial that could expand endlessly as more stories are collected. Kristin continues to advocate for local and national COVID memorials so that the unfathomable losses are never forgotten.

Roman Mars takes us on a tour of Chicago, a city he loves for its thoughtful design details. He starts by explaining how Chicago's orderly street grid was laid out in the 1830s, before the city even existed. An early surveyor simply drew straight streets uniformly 66 feet wide, with 16-foot alleys bisecting each block. This grid became the foundation for Chicago's future growth into one of America's largest cities. The grid's power was fully realized in 1901 when Edward Brennan implemented an addressing system that located every property relative to State and Madison Streets, the grid's central zero point. This allows Chicago addresses to pinpoint locations within the city. Mars cites the grid and addressing system as critical to Chicago's identity. As we walk around downtown, Mars points out design elements that make Chicago exceptional - from its beautiful city flag to Art Deco skyscrapers like the Tribune Tower and the Wrigley Building. He explains how the city's architecture carries on a "cross-generational conversation," with modern buildings borrowing and riffing on motifs from older neighbors. Respect for the urban fabric, he argues, elevates the individual buildings. Even a simple lakefront protection ordinance that bans development along Lake Michigan shores contributes by preserving open vistas. Mars shares what he's learned from decades of tours about Chicago's beloved buildings. A masonry skyscraper, the Monadnock Building, had to taper upward to support its extreme weight. The Wrigley Building was financed by the chewing gum magnate. The neo-Gothic Tribune Tower contains embedded fragments of famous structures from around the world. Through anecdotes like these, Mars contends that story is the "universal language" of design. Even a nondescript building can become a favorite when its backstory is unveiled. As we stand outside the sleek Montgomery Building, Mars recounts how its thick corner supports eliminated the possibility of executives fighting over corner offices. This appealing egalitarian spirit, he says, is why the building left such an impression on him.

Title: Power Broker #01 Robert Caro - Robert Caro started writing the book intending it to be about Robert Moses' political power, but it evolved into a book about both Moses and the people impacted by his power. - Caro interviewed Moses at his cottage, strategically located with views of his accomplishments like the Robert Moses Causeway. This intimidating setting reflected Moses' outsized ego and ambition. - Through extensive interviews, Caro came to see the human impact of Moses' urban renewal projects, which displaced over 500,000 people. He realized he had to tell their stories as well to fully convey the effects of Moses' power. - Caro details how Moses amassed power through holding simultaneous appointments and designing the terms so they expired at different times. This made taking power away from him very difficult. - The book opens with scenes of Moses resigning to get his way, contrasting a failed attempt in college to a later success as a tactic of power. Caro sees this as a theme in Moses' rise. - Belle Moskowitz and Governor Al Smith were critical figures in mentoring Moses in wielding power pragmatically, not just idealistically. - Caro expresses his love of archival research and how digging into original documents informed his analysis of Moses throughout the writing process. - Though Moses tried to stop the book, Caro believes without it Moses and his legacy shaping New York would be mostly forgotten today. Caro sees bringing that story to light as important.

Title: Imitation Nation The US military uses elaborate training simulations with fake villages and role players to prepare troops for combat in urban environments. After problematic missions in Mogadishu and the Middle East, the military invested heavily in these mock simulations. Companies were hired to build hyper-realistic fake cities with props, special effects, and hundreds of civilian role players. Many role players were Afghan and Arab immigrants recruited to play themselves and speak their native languages. The intense simulations often blurred the line between reality and fiction in uncomfortable ways. Some role players even experienced trauma reliving situations similar to their war-torn home countries. The industry around these warfare simulations has ballooned to over $250 million per year. As the nature of combat evolves, the training sites adapt - incorporating disinformation campaigns and scenarios inspired by recent conflicts like Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While intended to save lives by preparing soldiers, the simulations also provide a sobering look at the human impact of US military interventions overseas. As wars wind down, the mock villages remain, continuously updated for the next conflict. The changing battlefields reflect America's ongoing role in conflicts abroad.

The episode starts with Roman Mars welcoming listeners to Mini Stories Volume 18 to kick off 2024. The first story from Kurt Kohlstedt is about a new technique in skyscraper construction called "top-down building." In this method, the top floors of a skyscraper are built first on the ground and then jacked up floor by floor using massive strand jacks. An example is a tower called Exchange in Detroit, where the safety and space advantages make this technique ideal for that urban site. However, Kurt notes that structurally a top-down building works similarly to a regular skyscraper with concrete cores bearing the load. So while visually striking during construction with its exposed "legs," the end result blends right in. Next, Joe Rosenberg explores linguistic "filler words" like "like," "kinda," and "you know." He plays a clip of Emilia Clarke exaggerating these in a valley girl accent. Joe explains fillers serve an important conversational function as traffic signals that structure the flow of dialogue. Specific words signal different length pauses or abrupt topic changes. Over time, the original meaning fades in a process called bleaching. The stigma against fillers emerged with recorded audio, as listeners lost the context of being active participants. Comparing filler words across languages reveals creative variations. And the rise of "like" shows how new ones enter the lexicon. Finally, singer-songwriter Lizzie Noe performs her song "Centralia" about the still-burning underground mine fire in that Pennsylvania town. Starting in 1962, the fire spread through coal tunnels, causing dangerous sinkholes that eventually required an evacuation. Lizzie imagines the mindset of one of the few holdout residents after the destruction of the community. She plays another song, "Annie Oakley," from her upcoming concept album depicting self-discovery in America.

Episode Title: Another Visit from the Three Santas of Slovenia Summary: Slovenia has not one but three different Santa figures that visit children during the Christmas season - Sveti Miklavž (St. Nicholas), Dedek Mraz (Grandfather Frost), and Božiček (Santa Claus). Each Santa emerged during a different period of Slovenia's history. St. Nicholas, the traditional Catholic saint, was celebrated during Slovenia's time as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War II under communist rule, the religious St. Nicholas was banned and replaced by the secular Dedek Mraz, inspired by Russia's Grandfather Frost. When Slovenia became independent and capitalist in 1991, commercial Santa Claus also became popular. Rather than replacing one another, all three Santas coexist in present-day Slovenia. The month of December features appearances and celebrations for each. While Santa Claus has risen to the greatest popularity recently, efforts persist to preserve Dedek Mraz as a cherished part of Slovenian culture and tradition. The three Santas collectively reflect the richness of Slovenia's cultural history.

The episode begins by introducing that it is mini-story season, with several short stories about various topics. The first story is about the French Revolution and how the revolutionaries introduced decimalization, a new system of measurements based on units of 10, as part of building a more rational society. This included an attempt to implement decimal time, with 10 hours per day, 100 minutes per hour, and 100 seconds per minute. Special clocks were made to help people convert between the new decimal time system and the old system. However, decimal time was abandoned after less than two years due to pushback from the public. The second story is about Carlo Scarpa, a 20th century Italian designer known for his creative and bold architectural details. Despite lacking official credentials, he worked extensively renovating buildings in Venice. At one point the Venice Order of Architects sued him for practicing architecture without a license. Ironically, the case was tried in a Venetian courtroom Scarpa had designed himself. The judge took note of Scarpa's talents and dismissed the case. The third story explores the recent phenomenon of "ghost kitchens" - delivery-only kitchens without a storefront. They optimize for food delivery apps by offering the same dishes under different restaurant names. Major chains have also created delivery-only alter egos to reach different markets. The example of MrBeast Burger is given - a delivery-only operation that relies on partner restaurants to make the food, leading to quality control issues. The final story tells the history of the Telharmonium, a 200-ton electrical instrument invented in 1897 that could mimic the sound of orchestras over telephone wires. Despite initial popularity, technical limitations and the advent of radio led the ambitious project to end in failure. No recordings exist today of this pioneering electric instrument.

Counting and calculation have been an innate human need since the beginning of civilization. We started by using our fingers and toes to count, but eventually created tools like the abacus to help us tally larger numbers. The abacus gave way to written numbers and eventually the slide rule, a physical calculation tool that sped up complex math until the mid 20th century. Mechanical calculators were the next development, using gears and switches to add, subtract, multiply and divide. They were large, noisy, and complex but did the job. The pocket calculator was born in Japan after WWII when an abacus master beat a mechanical calculator in a contest, inspiring Japanese companies to shrink the technology down to a portable size. The transistor and then the integrated circuit made this possible. By the 1970s, hundreds of companies were making pocket calculators. Texas Instruments dominated the market, using calculators to sell their new microchips. They partnered with textbook makers and lobbied schools to make their graphing calculators mandatory for advanced math classes. This cemented TI's decades-long reign in American classrooms, while calculators faded from daily use elsewhere. Today the calculator persists mostly as an app on our computers and phones. It's no longer a physical object but the icon is a symbol of its evolution and impact. Without calculators, engineering feats like skyscrapers and spacecraft would have been far more difficult in the 20th century. So while the device itself may now be obsolete, its legacy and image live on digitally.

The episode begins with hosts Roman Mars and Elliott Kalan introducing their year-long project to read and discuss Robert Caro's acclaimed biography "The Power Broker." This 1,200 page tome chronicles the life of Robert Moses, the influential and controversial New York planner who shaped much of the city's infrastructure in the 20th century. To kick off the project, Mars and Kalan interview Conan O'Brien, an avowed Caro enthusiast. O'Brien expresses his admiration for Caro's exhaustive research methods and beautiful writing style. He contrasts Caro's dedication to his craft with the ephemeral nature of modern media. O'Brien also praises Caro's ability to objectively portray his complex subjects without labeling them as heroes or villains. He and Mars compare Caro to a geological formation, an enduring monument weathering the ages. The hosts explain why "The Power Broker" still resonates 50 years after its publication. They trace Caro's initial interest in Moses to an investigative reporting assignment on a proposed bridge project. In examining Moses' unchecked power, Caro embarked on an odyssey to uncover how one unelected bureaucrat shaped the infrastructure and fortunes of America's largest city. Over 2024, Mars and Kalan will lead listeners through the biography over a series of monthly installments. With enthusiasm rivaling preteen Harry Potter fans, they aim to break down the intricacies of municipal governance and relay the operatic tale of Moses' rise and fall. Whether readers tackle the tome themselves or simply tune in, the hosts invite everyone to join their "podcast book club" to appreciate Caro's genius.

The episode explores the history and mystery behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The tomb was created to memorialize unidentified soldiers who died in World War I. The idea was that the unknown soldier could represent all soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice but whose remains were never identified. Over time, unknown soldiers from later wars were added. In 1984, President Reagan presided over the burial of a Vietnam unknown soldier with great fanfare. However, it was later revealed that the remains were actually those of Air Force pilot Michael Blasi, whose plane had crashed in Vietnam in 1972. The identification of Blasi was known but kept secret by the military in order to place an unknown Vietnam veteran in the tomb for symbolic reasons. Blasi's family fought for years to have his identity confirmed and his remains removed from the tomb. The intense ritual surrounding the tomb, especially the perfectly choreographed marching of the guard, evolved over time into an almost spiritual spectacle. The 24/7 vigil and precise protocols demand total focus from the guards. Any breach earns the offender an intense scolding from the guard on duty. The public projects an aura of timelessness and nobility onto the ceremony, though the reality of the guard's mental state may be less lofty. In the end, the story of Michael Blasi reveals the power of the unknown soldier as a symbol and how that symbol has been manipulated at times. It also shows how modern technology like DNA testing threatens the viability of truly unknown soldiers. The tomb retains its beauty and emotional impact but its days of housing unknowns may be numbered.

The episode explores the history and cultural impact of cassette tapes, focusing on how they enabled the vast recording and distribution of live concerts by the Grateful Dead. Cassettes were much cheaper and easier to use than reel-to-reels, allowing Dead fans, known as "tapers", to sneak recording equipment into shows. This created a vast network of fan-made live recordings that were freely shared, letting Deadheads constantly listen to new interpretations of songs. By the mid-1980s, the band came to appreciate how tapes spread their music and cemented the reputation of their live shows. The Dead created an official taper section and later released soundboard recordings. Even as formats shifted, tapes continued circulating and the Internet enabled digitization of recordings. This extremely thorough documentation has created hardcore fans obsessed with tracking each performance. The episode also examines how cassettes remain prevalent in prisons, where CDs are banned over safety concerns and inmates cling to music as escape. Special transparent cassettes without screws are made to meet restrictions. Walkmen and tapes are prized possessions, guarded carefully. The music provides comfort, connection and distraction from bleak confinement. In the Dead and prison contexts, cassettes took on distinct virtues - enabling recording of ephemeral moments and serving as tokens of freedom. The tapes became vessels charged with cultural meaning and history, analog time capsules still treasured in the digital age.

The episode explores the history and cultural impact of cassette tapes, focusing on how they enabled the vast recording and distribution of live concerts by the Grateful Dead. Cassettes were much cheaper and easier to use than reel-to-reels, allowing Dead fans, known as "tapers", to sneak recording equipment into shows. This created a vast network of fan-made live recordings that were freely shared, letting Deadheads constantly listen to new interpretations of songs. By the mid-1980s, the band came to appreciate how tapes spread their music and cemented the reputation of their live shows. The Dead created an official taper section and later released soundboard recordings. Even as formats shifted, tapes continued circulating and the Internet enabled digitization of recordings. This extremely thorough documentation has created hardcore fans obsessed with tracking each performance. The episode also examines how cassettes remain prevalent in prisons, where CDs are banned over safety concerns and inmates cling to music as escape. Special transparent cassettes without screws are made to meet restrictions. Walkmen and tapes are prized possessions, guarded carefully. The music provides comfort, connection and distraction from bleak confinement. In the Dead and prison contexts, cassettes took on distinct virtues - enabling recording of ephemeral moments and serving as tokens of freedom. The tapes became vessels charged with cultural meaning and history, analog time capsules still treasured in the digital age.

Lincoln Heights, Ohio is a small, predominantly Black suburb of Cincinnati. It was founded in the 1940s by Black migrants fleeing the Jim Crow South who wanted to build their own self-governing town. However, surrounding white communities resisted and Lincoln Heights ended up with only a fraction of the land they originally sought to incorporate. One key parcel they lost was an open-air gun range purchased by the Cincinnati Police Department in 1946. This gun range sits right on the border of Lincoln Heights, bombarding residents with constant loud gunfire as police officers practice shooting. For decades, Lincoln Heights residents have tried unsuccessfully to get Cincinnati to move its gun range. The noise pollution has been traumatizing for residents and made home values plummet. Cincinnati leaders resisted, claiming the range was essential for officer training and that Lincoln Heights only had itself to blame for building so close. In reality, Lincoln Heights founders settled the area first but lost control of the land. Recent activism has finally pushed Cincinnati to plan a new $31 million range elsewhere, but construction will take 1-2 years. The impending gun range closure brings hope of peace and quiet after nearly 75 years of bombardment. It also represents a small victory and shift in power dynamics after generations of Lincoln Heights' disenfranchisement. However, some residents remain cynical, believing Cincinnati is moving the range more for its own business interests than in response to advocacy. In any case, this struggle has united Lincoln Heights residents young and old and given them a renewed sense of possibility. Though the gunshots continue for now, the day they finally cease will close a long chapter in Lincoln Heights’ fight for self-determination.

Lincoln Heights, Ohio is a small, predominantly Black suburb of Cincinnati. It was founded in the 1940s by Black migrants fleeing the Jim Crow South who wanted to build their own self-governing town. However, surrounding white communities resisted and Lincoln Heights ended up with only a fraction of the land they originally sought to incorporate. One key parcel they lost was an open-air gun range purchased by the Cincinnati Police Department in 1946. This gun range sits right on the border of Lincoln Heights, bombarding residents with constant loud gunfire as police officers practice shooting. For decades, Lincoln Heights residents have tried unsuccessfully to get Cincinnati to move its gun range. The noise pollution has been traumatizing for residents and made home values plummet. Cincinnati leaders resisted, claiming the range was essential for officer training and that Lincoln Heights only had itself to blame for building so close. In reality, Lincoln Heights founders settled the area first but lost control of the land. Recent activism has finally pushed Cincinnati to plan a new $31 million range elsewhere, but construction will take 1-2 years. The impending gun range closure brings hope of peace and quiet after nearly 75 years of bombardment. It also represents a small victory and shift in power dynamics after generations of Lincoln Heights' disenfranchisement. However, some residents remain cynical, believing Cincinnati is moving the range more for its own business interests than in response to advocacy. In any case, this struggle has united Lincoln Heights residents young and old and given them a renewed sense of possibility. Though the gunshots continue for now, the day they finally cease will close a long chapter in Lincoln Heights’ fight for self-determination.

Title: 559- The Six-Week Cure Summary: The podcast episode explores the history of Reno, Nevada as the "divorce capital of the world" in the mid-20th century. At that time, getting a divorce was difficult in most U.S. states due to restrictive laws. However, Nevada had some of the most liberal divorce laws. In 1931, Nevada lowered the residency requirement for divorce to just 6 weeks, the shortest in the country. This allowed people from more restrictive states to travel to Nevada, establish temporary residency, and get "quickie divorces." Reno became the prime destination for divorce-seekers. The city catered to these visitors by building lodging, providing jobs at casinos and ranches, and offering emotional support. Women going through the "six-week cure," as it was called, found solidarity with fellow divorcees. The divorce industry brought money and an influx of outsiders to Reno, shaping its freewheeling, cosmopolitan culture. Reno's reign ended as divorce laws were liberalized across the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s. But it left a legacy as a refuge for unhappily married women, including novelist Jane Rule who wrote the 1964 Desert of the Heart based on her Reno experience. While the "six-week cure" is history, Reno remains known as the biggest little city in the world.

The episode focuses on the story of the Cinchona tree, native to Peru, and its bark which contains quinine. Quinine was used historically as a treatment for malaria. The British Empire wanted to get access to quinine to help its colonial expansion, but Peru had banned export of cinchona seeds and saplings. The British sent expeditions like Clements Markham to secretly collect seeds and smuggle them out of Peru. A British trader named Charles Ledger also enlisted the help of an indigenous guide named Manuel Mamani to find and collect cinchona samples. Mamani was later beaten and killed during another seed-collecting trip. The Dutch were also trying to get cinchona. Ledger ended up selling his collected seeds to the Dutch instead of the British. The Dutch were able to use those seeds to establish lucrative cinchona plantations in Java and gain a monopoly over the global quinine supply. This helped fuel both the Dutch and British colonial expansions across Asia and Africa. So the story illustrates the lengths empires would go to in order to exploit indigenous resources for imperial gain. The British theft destroyed wild cinchona populations in Peru. Modern genetic research also suggests this overharvesting diminished the quinine content in existing trees. The story connects the history of colonialism to something familiar like gin and tonic, which became a staple because British soldiers were given quinine rations. Overall, it's an expansive story showing how the quest for quinine intertwined capitalism, science, and imperialism in ways that fundamentally shaped the modern world.

Title: Model Village The Hogeweyk is a village near Amsterdam designed specifically for people with dementia. It was created to provide a more normal, dignified life for dementia patients compared to typical nursing homes. The village has a neighborhood layout, with residential homes, shops, restaurants, parks, streets, and other amenities. Residents are free to wander and participate in activities like gardening, arts, and social clubs. Caregivers dress in regular clothes, not scrubs, and assist residents while allowing independence. This model aims to give residents autonomy and preserve their sense of self, in contrast to the stigma and loss of dignity common in dementia care. Though rare, villages like Hogeweyk offer hope for more humane and socially-oriented approaches to dementia. They suggest care should focus not just on medical treatment, but on creating supportive environments. As dementia rates rise worldwide, the village model provides inspiration. But under profit-driven health systems, villages may remain limited. Still, simple communication and design changes could make traditional facilities more dementia-friendly. The key is upholding personhood and selfhood, regardless of cognitive decline.

Title: 328- Devolutionary Redesign The story focuses on the album art for Devo's first major label record "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!" in 1978. Devo was an avant-garde art rock band from Ohio obsessed with the concept of de-evolution. For their indie single "Be Stiff," they used an image of golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez they found on a package of golf balls. They wanted to reuse it for their debut album cover, but the record label said they couldn't for legal reasons. Devo tried mutating Chi Chi's face by combining it with the presidents' faces, but it still looked too much like him. Eventually Chi Chi gave permission in exchange for some free records. But by then the album art was already changed. Devo went on to fame, though they never knew if Chi Chi liked the music. He was recently interviewed and said he only listened to the album once - he preferred Frank Sinatra. But Chi Chi appreciated Devo's showmanship, comparing it to his own flamboyant golf persona. In the end, the corporate interference caused Devo to create something more fitting for them, making the story a quintessential Devo experience.

Title: 556- You Ain't Nothin But a Postmark Summary: In 1992, the U.S. Postal Service held a popular vote to decide which image of Elvis Presley should appear on a commemorative postage stamp: young Elvis or old Elvis. The campaign to get Elvis on a stamp had been going on for years, led by dedicated fans. It represented a major shift for the Postal Service, which had historically stuck to traditional, conservative stamp designs of presidents and national figures. The vote between young and old Elvis captivated the nation in 1992. Young Elvis won in a landslide, capturing the fresh-faced icon before drugs and weight gain took their toll. The stamp's release was a huge success, selling over 500 million stamps. It launched the Postal Service into issuing modern pop culture stamps. Other countries had already issued Elvis stamps before the U.S., some just months after his death. International stamps feature a wide variety of images of Elvis, often in "souvenir sheets" aimed at collectors. Some pair Elvis with other U.S. figures like Bill Clinton. These stamps are controversial but provide insight into how U.S. pop culture is viewed globally. The international market has influenced the U.S. Postal Service to issue more pop culture stamps.

The Big Dig was a massive infrastructure project in Boston that rerouted the city's central highway underground. It was the most expensive highway project in U.S. history and encountered many hurdles including politics, engineering challenges, fraud, and cost overruns. The project has roots dating back to the 1950s when Boston, like many U.S. cities, was focused on highway building. This often negatively impacted neighborhoods. In the 1960s, activist groups began opposing projects like Boston's Inner Belt highway. Fred Salvucci, who would initiate the Big Dig, was involved in fighting the Inner Belt. In the late 1960s, the anti-highway movement grew under the Greater Boston Committee on the Transportation Crisis. In 1972, Massachusetts Governor Francis Sargent halted highway building in Boston. This was unprecedented. Sargent's administration then studied transportation alternatives like mass transit. The Big Dig concept emerged from this era. The idea was not just to stop highway building but to undo past mistakes by burying elevated highways. Salvucci would champion this vision starting in the 1970s. The podcast explores how the anti-highway movement represented a turning point in infrastructure policy and made the Big Dig possible.

The podcast episode "Devil in the Details" from 99% Invisible discusses the satanic panic of the 1980s and 1990s. It starts by describing a 1994 training video for police called "Law Enforcement Guide to Satanic Cults." The video was used to teach police officers how to identify satanic crimes and rituals. It featured bizarre characters and claims about widespread satanic cults murdering people in occult sacrifices. At the time, many people believed conspiracy theories about satanic cults corrupting youth. Parents lived in fear that Satanists were kidnapping and murdering children. The media fanned the flames with sensationalized reporting. Law enforcement fully embraced the satanic panic, with some police becoming self-proclaimed experts on the occult. They relied on questionable sources to teach fellow officers about satanic crimes. The 1994 police training video was produced by an aspiring filmmaker looking to make a name for himself. He worked with a gun enthusiast who sold instructional videos to produce the tape. They filled it with misinformation and dramatic embellishments about satanic symbols and rituals. Although completely bogus, it was marketed as official police training material. The video was widely used to promote the myth of satanic cults to police officers. In reality, the claims of satanic ritual abuse were unfounded. But the satanic panic had real consequences, as people were falsely accused and imprisoned. By the late 1990s, the hysteria faded as the absurdity of the claims became clear. The police training video quietly fell out of use along with the phrase "satanic ritual abuse." Looking back, the video reveals how easily conspiracies can balloon into official narratives and lead to injustice.

Title: Cautionary Tales of the Sydney Opera House Summary: The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, known for its distinctive sail-like roof design. However, the story behind its construction is a cautionary tale. In the 1950s, conductor Eugene Goossens dreamed of building a grand opera house on Sydney Harbour. An international design competition was held, which was won by the little-known Danish architect Jørn Utzon. His bold design with shell-shaped roofs was controversial but captivated the judges. Construction began in 1959 before the engineering challenges were solved. The original budget and timeline were unrealistic. As costs mounted, politics got involved. Premier Joseph Cahill rushed construction to secure his legacy before his death. After he died, his successor Davis Hughes clashed with Utzon over control and money. In 1966, Utzon resigned/was forced out. No other famous architect would take over the controversial project. Finally, a young local architect named Peter Hall finished construction, taking 7 more years and 3 times the money. The Opera House was finally completed in 1973, 15 times over budget and 10 years late. Utzon was not invited to the opening by Queen Elizabeth II. His career never recovered from the Opera House debacle. The Sydney Opera House stands today as a masterpiece of architecture and an icon of Sydney. But its painful construction process also represents a cautionary tale about starting major projects without proper planning, funding, or vision.

Title: Blood in the Machine Tech reporter Brian Merchant became curious about the term "Luddite" after it was often used pejoratively when reporting critically on technology. The Luddites were originally 19th century English textile workers who rose up against automation that threatened their livelihoods. Before automation, textile work allowed flexibility and autonomy. Workers could labor from home at their own pace. The rise of factories and machines like the power loom changed all that. Workers were forced into brutal factory conditions with long hours and dangerous machinery. Child labor also arose from the use of unskilled machinery. As automation increased, workers tried legal avenues to stop it but were denied. With collective bargaining made illegal, textile workers finally resorted to machine breaking under the mythical leader "Ned Ludd." What began in Nottingham spread quickly as a decentralized movement. Leaders like George Mellor coordinated raids on factories to smash specific automated machines while leaving older ones intact. The government responded harshly, occupying towns and making machine breaking a crime punishable by death. The Luddites' defeat at Raffalds Mill showed that force could stop them. After Mellor assassinated a factory owner, he and other leaders were captured and executed. The defeat of the Luddites meant the factory model spread rapidly. Questioning technology's use became taboo. Yet echoes of their fight remain relevant today as workers challenge modern automation. Though thoroughly defeated, the Luddites illuminate crises still ongoing about how technology should progress.

Introduction - Roman Mars introduces the episode about the origins of the song "Who Let the Dogs Out" and how it got stuck in everyone's head. The Baja Men Version - The song was released in 2000 by the band Baja Men and became a huge hit. Their producer Steve Greenberg heard the hook from a British hairdresser who claimed to have heard it at Carnival in Trinidad. - Greenberg convinced the Baja Men to record it even though they were initially resistant. Anselm Douglas' "Doggie" - Greenberg traced the song back to a recording by Anselm Douglas called "Doggie." Douglas wanted to write an anthem for women fed up with men behaving badly on the dance floor. - Douglas got the hook from two Canadian DJs, Patrick Steffensen and Leroy Williams, who used it on their radio show in the mid-90s. - The DJs came up with the hook "Who let the dogs out?" followed by barking sounds. Other Versions - There were several other earlier versions, including by the band 20 Fingers in 1994 and by Miami Boom in 1992. - The earliest recorded version found was by a high school football team in Michigan in 1990. - The hook may have originated as a sports chant before it was ever recorded as a song. Conclusion - The origins are complicated with many contributors, borrowers, and parallel innovations. It's difficult to pinpoint one sole author of the hook. - The story illustrates the mysteries of creativity and how ideas spread and transform across people and places.

Title: Office Space Summary: Paragraph 1: The podcast discusses the idea of converting empty office buildings into housing units in major cities. During the pandemic, office vacancy rates increased while cities faced housing shortages and homelessness crises. Converting offices to apartments seems like an elegant solution, but in practice it is complicated and expensive. Paragraph 2: Converting offices to housing requires major renovations like redoing plumbing and electrical systems, adding lots of bathrooms, and reconfiguring floor plans. Office buildings have large open floor plates while apartments need access to windows. Developers have to creatively work around issues like getting light and air to interior units. Paragraph 3: There are also major regulatory hurdles when changing an office to residential use. Cities have zoning laws, construction codes, and other rules that make conversions difficult. In New York City, buildings constructed after 1961 generally can't be converted to housing. The red tape and construction costs make these projects expensive. As a result, converted units tend to be luxury apartments out of reach for lower income residents. Paragraph 4: While office-to-housing conversions are complex, cities are still interested in encouraging more of them. They can help deal with vacant offices and add some new housing units. However, conversions alone won't solve housing shortages. Cities need a mix of strategies like building affordable housing.

Episode Title: Melanie Speaks - In the 1990s, a trans woman named Melanie made a VHS tape called "Melanie Speaks" to teach other trans women how to feminize their voices. The tape offered vocal exercises and encouragement. - The tape was passed around in trans communities at a time when resources were scarce. It helped many trans women like Gwen and Dallas find confidence in their voices. - The reporter Sarah and producer Cas try to track down Melanie today to hear her perspective, but she seems to want privacy. They respect her wishes. - The tape reflects its time - it teaches stereotypically feminine speech, which was considered necessary for safety and acceptance then. - Today trans people create informal voice training networks online, though risks remain. Melanie's tape empowered generations. - Host Swan and Roman Mars discuss their own voice journeys. Voices change naturally over time but also through conscious effort. Finding one's voice can be complicated yet universal.

Title: Trail Mix Track Two Summary: The episode begins with another conversation with author Robert Moore about the Appalachian Trail. The AT is a 2,000 mile hiking path along the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine. It was conceived as a way to connect recreation centers for mental and physical health, but became popular as a continuous end-to-end hike. The episode then explores desire paths and hollow ways - trails that form informally over time from foot traffic and carts wearing down the ground. Some hollow ways in Europe date back to Roman times. Next, producer Kelly Prime describes biking on the Empire State Trail from New York City upstate towards Canada. The trail starts in a dense urban area but gets surprisingly far through the countryside. The episode covers the origins of the term GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) for trail mix and its incorporation into the style trend of gorpcore or wilderness chic apparel. Finally, producer Jason De Leon shares his story of his dog Hazel recovering from surgery, and their emotional return to her favorite woodland trail and community of dog friends after months away.

Title: Trail Mix Summary: The episode explores the design and construction of hiking trails. It begins by discussing how trails evolve organically through use, but modern hiking trails are deliberately engineered to create a "natural" wilderness experience. The host shares stories about techniques used to build trails that feel ancient but hide signs of human impact, like selectively clearing vegetation and replanting bushes. There is extensive behind-the-scenes work to make trails look untouched. Other stories highlight how trail routing balances taking hikers to scenic spots while avoiding hazards, and how mapping software can sometimes send hikers dangerous routes. The episode emphasizes that even on short hikes, paper maps and compasses are still essential backups. Overall, the episode reveals the illusion of wilderness on many trails, as their design requires extensive planning and maintenance to meet the cultural values of modern hikers expecting a natural experience. It aims to change how listeners see and appreciate the human craft behind trails.

The podcast discusses the history of gas stoves and how the gas industry has promoted them as superior to electric stoves through advertising campaigns over the past century. However, research increasingly shows that gas stoves emit pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and benzene that are linked to health issues like asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. In the 1980s, there was debate around regulating gas stoves for indoor air quality, but it fizzled out due to industry pushback and lack of political will. More recently, some cities and states have begun passing regulations to phase out gas appliances in new construction, motivated largely by climate change concerns. This has triggered backlash from the gas industry and conservatives who argue this takes away consumer choice. The podcast explores the visceral reaction some people have to gas stoves, seeing them as part of their identity and questioning the science around health risks. It notes that despite claims that ventilation solves the problem, hoods are not always effective. The host discusses challenges around converting existing buildings to electric and new incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act. They expect continued action on gas stoves, though not necessarily outright bans, as momentum grows around addressing climate change.

Episode Title: The Country of the Blind - Reporter Andrew Leland did a story for 99% Invisible a few years ago about the history of technologies for blind reading, like raised letter books, Braille, and audiobooks. - Leland has an eye disease that is causing him to gradually lose his vision. He compares himself to the explorer in H.G. Wells' story "The Country of the Blind" who stumbles upon a hidden valley where everyone is blind. - Leland struggled with feeling like he wasn't "blind enough" to fully understand blindness and use tools like a white cane. Blindness exists on a spectrum, with only 10-15% of blind people having no light perception at all. - In the episode, Leland explores the tensions between universal design vs. systems specialized for the blind, and between sighted vs. blind creators of reading technologies. - He profiles innovators like Louis Braille who created the Braille tactile writing system, and Harvey Lauer who read through musical tones, vibrations, and multiple technologies at once. - Leland has written a new memoir called The Country of the Blind about his experience losing vision. He cultivates blind mentors and role models. - He argues blindness does not have to be a tragedy, and there is joy, excitement, and beauty in the blind experience. He wants to flip the idea of the "country of the blind" to show blind people belong to the same world as the sighted.

Episode Title: The Country of the Blind - Reporter Andrew Leland did a story for 99% Invisible a few years ago about the history of technologies for blind reading, like raised letter books, Braille, and audiobooks. - Leland has an eye disease that is causing him to gradually lose his vision. He compares himself to the explorer in H.G. Wells' story "The Country of the Blind" who stumbles upon a hidden valley where everyone is blind. - Leland struggled with feeling like he wasn't "blind enough" to fully understand blindness and use tools like a white cane. Blindness exists on a spectrum, with only 10-15% of blind people having no light perception at all. - In the episode, Leland explores the tensions between universal design vs. systems specialized for the blind, and between sighted vs. blind creators of reading technologies. - He profiles innovators like Louis Braille who created the Braille tactile writing system, and Harvey Lauer who read through musical tones, vibrations, and multiple technologies at once. - Leland has written a new memoir called The Country of the Blind about his experience losing vision. He cultivates blind mentors and role models. - He argues blindness does not have to be a tragedy, and there is joy, excitement, and beauty in the blind experience. He wants to flip the idea of the "country of the blind" to show blind people belong to the same world as the sighted.

Title: Shade Redux - Los Angeles recently installed new metal shade structures called "Las Umbretas" at bus stops to provide shade for riders. - However, the design has faced a lot of criticism - the metal grate is very thin and doesn't seem to provide meaningful shade. - Lack of shade is a major issue in LA, with uneven tree canopy coverage across neighborhoods. Wealthier areas have more trees and shade. - Providing more shade helps with human comfort and reducing heat-related illnesses. Shade has become a hot button political issue in LA. - Installing shade structures faces many bureaucratic hurdles, from ADA compliance to not obstructing driver sightlines. Agencies don't collaborate well. - The unimpressive size and shape of Las Umbretas reflects the limited ability to add shade under current policies and processes. - More shade would improve bus stops and help achieve goals like promoting public transit and gender equity for riders.

Title: Shade Redux - Los Angeles recently installed new metal shade structures called "Las Umbretas" at bus stops to provide shade for riders. - However, the design has faced a lot of criticism - the metal grate is very thin and doesn't seem to provide meaningful shade. - Lack of shade is a major issue in LA, with uneven tree canopy coverage across neighborhoods. Wealthier areas have more trees and shade. - Providing more shade helps with human comfort and reducing heat-related illnesses. Shade has become a hot button political issue in LA. - Installing shade structures faces many bureaucratic hurdles, from ADA compliance to not obstructing driver sightlines. Agencies don't collaborate well. - The unimpressive size and shape of Las Umbretas reflects the limited ability to add shade under current policies and processes. - More shade would improve bus stops and help achieve goals like promoting public transit and gender equity for riders.

Title: Chick Tracts - Chick tracts are small evangelical Christian comic books created by Jack Chick starting in the 1960s. They are designed to be easily distributed for the purpose of proselytizing. - Over 1 billion Chick tracts have been distributed worldwide. They tackle controversial topics and are known for their graphic depictions of sin and damnation. - Jack Chick had an unconventional path to creating the tracts. After serving in WWII, he wanted to be an actor but became a born-again Christian after getting married. - Inspired by a book criticizing complacent churches, Chick started creating comic tracts criticizing his own church. He was influenced by Chinese communist propaganda comics. - In 1969, Chick shrunk the tracts down to pocket size to make them more distributable. This coincided with rising evangelical missionary efforts globally. - Chick tracts have a distinct artistic style and resonated with the counterculture movement of the 1970s. But they have also been accused of promoting hate speech. - While offensive to many, Chick tracts have a cult following among some who see them as kitschy or punk. The tracts have become collector's items but remain controversial.

Title: Chick Tracts - Chick tracts are small evangelical Christian comic books created by Jack Chick starting in the 1960s. They are designed to be easily distributed for the purpose of proselytizing. - Over 1 billion Chick tracts have been distributed worldwide. They tackle controversial topics and are known for their graphic depictions of sin and damnation. - Jack Chick had an unconventional path to creating the tracts. After serving in WWII, he wanted to be an actor but became a born-again Christian after getting married. - Inspired by a book criticizing complacent churches, Chick started creating comic tracts criticizing his own church. He was influenced by Chinese communist propaganda comics. - In 1969, Chick shrunk the tracts down to pocket size to make them more distributable. This coincided with rising evangelical missionary efforts globally. - Chick tracts have a distinct artistic style and resonated with the counterculture movement of the 1970s. But they have also been accused of promoting hate speech. - While offensive to many, Chick tracts have a cult following among some who see them as kitschy or punk. The tracts have become collector's items but remain controversial.

Roman Mars, host of the podcast 99% Invisible, interviewed Ryan Coogler, director of films like Black Panther and Creed. They discussed how they first met at an architecture conference where Ryan was the keynote speaker. During the pandemic, they started having weekly Zoom calls to talk about podcasting and filmmaking. They collaborated on the Judas and the Black Messiah podcast, which was a companion to the film. It provided more background and let Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. share his perspective on his father's story and legacy. Roman talked about how making the podcast gave Chairman Jr. a platform to process the film and protect his father's legacy. Ryan and Roman also discussed their approaches to leading creative teams. They talked about how at first you try to do everything yourself, but then you bring on people who are better than you at certain things. So your role becomes more about enabling others. They reflected on how the creative process always reveals new ways of making something good. At first you think there's only one right way, but later you realize there are endless possibilities. Collaborating with others exposes you to new approaches. The key takeaway is that the podcast gave Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. a chance to engage with his father's story beyond the limitations of the film format. It provided a platform for him to share his personal perspective.

Roman Mars, host of the podcast 99% Invisible, interviewed Ryan Coogler, director of films like Black Panther and Creed. They discussed how they first met at an architecture conference where Ryan was the keynote speaker. During the pandemic, they started having weekly Zoom calls to talk about podcasting and filmmaking. They collaborated on the Judas and the Black Messiah podcast, which was a companion to the film. It provided more background and let Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. share his perspective on his father's story and legacy. Roman talked about how making the podcast gave Chairman Jr. a platform to process the film and protect his father's legacy. Ryan and Roman also discussed their approaches to leading creative teams. They talked about how at first you try to do everything yourself, but then you bring on people who are better than you at certain things. So your role becomes more about enabling others. They reflected on how the creative process always reveals new ways of making something good. At first you think there's only one right way, but later you realize there are endless possibilities. Collaborating with others exposes you to new approaches. The key takeaway is that the podcast gave Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. a chance to engage with his father's story beyond the limitations of the film format. It provided a platform for him to share his personal perspective.

The episode explores the life and work of composer Raymond Scott, who was famous in the mid-20th century but has since faded into obscurity. Scott was fascinated by machines and technology, and spent much of his career trying to develop systems to automate musical creativity. As a child, Scott became obsessed with player pianos, which allowed music to be mechanically reproduced without a musician. This early influence shaped his later desire to remove the "human error" from music creation. Scott formed innovative jazz and pop groups in the 1930s and 40s, but ran them with an iron fist, demanding machine-like perfection from his musicians. He later created early electronic music tools like drum machines and sequencers. His magnum opus was the Electronium, a room-sized device meant to automatically generate melodies, rhythms, and musical ideas. Scott shopped the ambitious invention around Hollywood and eventually struck a deal with Motown Records. But the temperamental machine never quite delivered on its promise. Even after his midcentury fame faded, Scott continued refining the Electronium up until his death in 1994. He represents a pioneer of artificial intelligence applied to the arts, who was ultimately unable to mechanize human creativity. Scott's story illustrates both the promise and limitations of automation.

The episode explores the life and work of composer Raymond Scott, who was famous in the mid-20th century but has since faded into obscurity. Scott was fascinated by machines and technology, and spent much of his career trying to develop systems to automate musical creativity. As a child, Scott became obsessed with player pianos, which allowed music to be mechanically reproduced without a musician. This early influence shaped his later desire to remove the "human error" from music creation. Scott formed innovative jazz and pop groups in the 1930s and 40s, but ran them with an iron fist, demanding machine-like perfection from his musicians. He later created early electronic music tools like drum machines and sequencers. His magnum opus was the Electronium, a room-sized device meant to automatically generate melodies, rhythms, and musical ideas. Scott shopped the ambitious invention around Hollywood and eventually struck a deal with Motown Records. But the temperamental machine never quite delivered on its promise. Even after his midcentury fame faded, Scott continued refining the Electronium up until his death in 1994. He represents a pioneer of artificial intelligence applied to the arts, who was ultimately unable to mechanize human creativity. Scott's story illustrates both the promise and limitations of automation.

Paragraph 1: The Frankfurt Kitchen was designed in Frankfurt, Germany in the 1920s as part of a government public housing project. Architect Margarethe Schütte-Lihotzky created the compact and efficient kitchen design, which is considered the first modern kitchen. The Frankfurt Kitchen had innovative features like continuous countertops, electric appliances, and storage solutions that made cooking more efficient. Paragraph 2: Schütte-Lihotzky studied kitchens on trains and ships to come up with space-saving ideas for the Frankfurt Kitchen's design. Features included fold-down ironing boards, crockpots, and standardized measuring cups. The kitchen was designed using "scientific management" principles to eliminate excess motions and make cooking faster. This was intended to reduce the burden of housework on women. Paragraph 3: The Frankfurt Kitchen was mass-produced and installed in 10,000 public housing units between 1926-1930. It was praised by architects across Europe for its efficiency. However, some residents complained the kitchen was too small and isolated from living areas. The city responded by holding classes on how to use the kitchen rather than modifying the design. Paragraph 4: Though manufacture of the Frankfurt Kitchen ended in 1930, its design remained influential. However, Schütte-Lihotzky later came to regret that this kitchen design was her most well-known work. The Frankfurt Kitchen also faced some criticism from feminists who felt it accepted the unpaid domestic labor expected from women.

Paragraph 1: The Frankfurt Kitchen was designed in Frankfurt, Germany in the 1920s as part of a government public housing project. Architect Margarethe Schütte-Lihotzky created the compact and efficient kitchen design, which is considered the first modern kitchen. The Frankfurt Kitchen had innovative features like continuous countertops, electric appliances, and storage solutions that made cooking more efficient. Paragraph 2: Schütte-Lihotzky studied kitchens on trains and ships to come up with space-saving ideas for the Frankfurt Kitchen's design. Features included fold-down ironing boards, crockpots, and standardized measuring cups. The kitchen was designed using "scientific management" principles to eliminate excess motions and make cooking faster. This was intended to reduce the burden of housework on women. Paragraph 3: The Frankfurt Kitchen was mass-produced and installed in 10,000 public housing units between 1926-1930. It was praised by architects across Europe for its efficiency. However, some residents complained the kitchen was too small and isolated from living areas. The city responded by holding classes on how to use the kitchen rather than modifying the design. Paragraph 4: Though manufacture of the Frankfurt Kitchen ended in 1930, its design remained influential. However, Schütte-Lihotzky later came to regret that this kitchen design was her most well-known work. The Frankfurt Kitchen also faced some criticism from feminists who felt it accepted the unpaid domestic labor expected from women.

The Siren of Scrap Metal This episode explores the iconic sound of "Fierro Viejo" ("Old Iron"), a recording played on loop by scrap metal collection trucks in Mexico City. The recording features a high-pitched, weary voice listing household items the trucks will buy - mattresses, appliances, etc. The voice belongs to Marimar Tarón Martínez, who recorded it at age 9 with her father Marco Antonio Toron. Marco started collecting scrap metal and wanted a recording to advertise his services. He felt his own voice was too gravelly, so he had Marimar record the spiel instead. The recording spread across Mexico City as Marco and other collectors bought copies. It gained internet fame and was remixed into songs. To many, it represents the resourcefulness and creativity of Mexico's informal economy. Marimar became a celebrity in Mexico but still lives modestly. She and Marco continue performing as clowns. The recording brought attention to their act and Mexico's scrap metal collectors. It shows how an improvised advertisement became iconic folklore through its spread in Mexico City's noisy, competitive streets.

The Siren of Scrap Metal This episode explores the iconic sound of "Fierro Viejo" ("Old Iron"), a recording played on loop by scrap metal collection trucks in Mexico City. The recording features a high-pitched, weary voice listing household items the trucks will buy - mattresses, appliances, etc. The voice belongs to Marimar Tarón Martínez, who recorded it at age 9 with her father Marco Antonio Toron. Marco started collecting scrap metal and wanted a recording to advertise his services. He felt his own voice was too gravelly, so he had Marimar record the spiel instead. The recording spread across Mexico City as Marco and other collectors bought copies. It gained internet fame and was remixed into songs. To many, it represents the resourcefulness and creativity of Mexico's informal economy. Marimar became a celebrity in Mexico but still lives modestly. She and Marco continue performing as clowns. The recording brought attention to their act and Mexico's scrap metal collectors. It shows how an improvised advertisement became iconic folklore through its spread in Mexico City's noisy, competitive streets.

Title: Courtroom Sketch Courtroom sketches have captured some of the most important legal events in recent history. Artists are still used to document high-profile court cases, despite the prevalence of cameras, due to longstanding bans on recording devices in courtrooms. The practice began in the 1930s after the chaotic media spectacle surrounding the Lindbergh baby kidnapping trial. Cameras were seen as disruptive, so illustrators were brought in as a more discreet way to document trials. Television increased demand for courtroom art in the 1960s. Artists work under high pressure to quickly and accurately sketch key moments. They aim to capture the emotion and energy in the room. The O.J. Simpson trial in 1995 renewed bans on cameras after it became a media circus, saving courtroom art. But views are shifting, as seen in the livestreamed, smoothly run Derek Chauvin trial. There are arguments for and against cameras in courts, but sketch artists fill an important role for now.

The episode explores the history of children's literature and libraries, centering around influential but controversial children's librarian Ann Carol Moore. In the late 19th century, libraries did not allow children inside. Moore pioneered the idea of children's rooms in libraries filled with books just for kids. She helped make children's literature more respected as an art form. However, Moore had very narrow, old-fashioned tastes. She favored fanciful stories with talking animals over realistic tales about city life. As head children's librarian at the NY Public Library, she had immense power over what books libraries purchased nationwide. For decades she banned stories she disliked, including Margaret Wise Brown's classic Goodnight Moon. The episode also covers the Bank Street school, whose teachers pushed children's books to reflect modern urban life. Margaret Wise Brown bridged the two approaches, combining imagination and realism. Though Moore tried to block Goodnight Moon, it eventually became wildly popular. The episode explores Moore's legacy, her great contributions to children's lit along with her problematic gatekeeping.

The episode explores the history of children's literature and libraries, centering around influential but controversial children's librarian Ann Carol Moore. In the late 19th century, libraries did not allow children inside. Moore pioneered the idea of children's rooms in libraries filled with books just for kids. She helped make children's literature more respected as an art form. However, Moore had very narrow, old-fashioned tastes. She favored fanciful stories with talking animals over realistic tales about city life. As head children's librarian at the NY Public Library, she had immense power over what books libraries purchased nationwide. For decades she banned stories she disliked, including Margaret Wise Brown's classic Goodnight Moon. The episode also covers the Bank Street school, whose teachers pushed children's books to reflect modern urban life. Margaret Wise Brown bridged the two approaches, combining imagination and realism. Though Moore tried to block Goodnight Moon, it eventually became wildly popular. The episode explores Moore's legacy, her great contributions to children's lit along with her problematic gatekeeping.

Title: Train Set Track Three - Discussed the children's show Shining Time Station and its character Thomas the Tank Engine. The show originated from a series of books with problematic authoritarian themes. - Explained the use of explosive detonators placed along train tracks to audibly warn oncoming trains of danger ahead. - Described the luxury experience of having a private train car hitched onto an Amtrak train for a fee. This service still exists today. - Covered the history of detached "slip coaches" used in the UK to allow passengers to disembark from a moving train at smaller stations. This practice was discontinued due to safety issues. - Visited the New York Transit Museum, which is housed in a former 1930s subway station. It has vintage trains and subway cars on display. - Discussed Durham, NC's "Canopener Bridge" which was notorious for scraping the tops off trucks, despite many warning mechanisms. The bridge was finally raised in 2019 to allow more clearance.

Title: Paved Paradise - Los Angeles is known for its car culture and has one of the highest concentrations of parking in the world. Finding parking is a constant struggle. - In the 1920s, LA saw a population boom and mass adoption of cars. With limited curbside parking, the city introduced parking minimums in 1931, requiring new apartments to have on-site parking. - Parking minimums spread, reshaping LA's architecture to accommodate cars. Small housing types like bungalow courts became impossible to build. - Parking minimums made it difficult to build affordable housing or renovate old buildings in LA. This contributed to the city's housing crisis. - Recently, LA eliminated parking minimums downtown to encourage more housing. Other cities are following suit. - Privatizing Chicago's parking meters in 2008 for 75 years was a disastrous deal, handing profits to Wall Street investors. Parking rates spiked, and the city lost control of its streets.

Episode Title: Nuts and Bolts - The episode explores 7 small, often overlooked inventions that have had a big impact on the modern world: the nail, the wheel, the spring, the string, the magnet, the lens, and the pump. - Structural engineer Roma Agrawal discusses how these inventions work and their importance in engineering and infrastructure. - For example, the nail was once highly valued and regulated, enabling large structures to be built. The wheel evolved from the potter's wheel to vehicles. Springs store energy and allow movement. String was used by Neanderthals and is still key in suspension bridges. - Lenses enabled microscopes to see cells and sperm, leading to IVF. Pumps moved water and sewage, enabling cities. Breast pumps were derived from milking machines, improved by women engineers. - These inventions showcase how small innovations enable major advancements. Roma argues diversity in engineering is key, as women were excluded and breast pumps long ignored. - The episode illustrates how simple objects contain rich histories and make the modern world possible in ways we take for granted. Roma aims to create more appreciation for the engineering of everyday things.

Title: Craptions Paragraph 1: The podcast discusses the prevalence of inaccurate or low-quality closed captions, known as "craptions," on streaming and broadcast media. Craptions are a major problem for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers who rely on captions to access content. Examples of craptions include misspelled names or gibberish captions. Paragraph 2: Legally, TV broadcasters in the US are required by the FCC and ADA to provide accurate captions. But with the rise of streaming, companies like Netflix originally claimed they weren't covered by these rules. The National Association of the Deaf sued Netflix in 2011, establishing streaming media must also caption content. Paragraph 3: Activists have pushed other streaming services to improve captions, but YouTube remains a major holdout, with no plans to mandate human-generated captions. Instead, YouTube relies on AI-generated automatic captions, which have improved but still have accuracy issues. Deaf YouTubers have campaigned for better captions, but captioning is expensive and time-consuming. Paragraph 4: Even for broadcast TV and movies, dialogue mixing practices and more naturalistic acting have made understanding speech more difficult. This leads many viewers, even those without hearing loss, to use captions frequently. Professional closed captioning is extremely complex, requiring captioners to perfectly transcribe while following myriad formatting rules. Paragraph 5: Overall, activism and lawsuits have made strides in accessibility, but craptions remain common. As AI captioning improves, it may help fill the accessibility gap, but human-generated captions are still needed to fully include deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.

Paragraph 1: The podcast episode is a replay of an older episode from 2014 about the history of pinball being illegal in many places until the 1970s. It tells the story of Roger Sharpe, who in 1976 performed a skill shot in front of the New York City Council to prove pinball was a game of skill, helping legalize it. Paragraph 2: The episode starts with a clip from a 2014 Oakland, California city council meeting where they finally legalized pinball machines for the first time since the 1930s. Pinball had evolved from a simple countertop game in the 1860s to a gambling device by the 1930s, leading to bans. Paragraph 3: The episode provides background on pinball's history and how it was associated with gambling and the mafia. The art on the backglass appealed to men and encouraged gambling. By the 1940s most major cities had banned pinball. Paragraph 4: In 1976, Roger Sharpe was called before the New York City Council to prove pinball was a game of skill. He called his shots perfectly, including his finishing plunge shot down the center. The council voted 6-0 to legalize pinball. Paragraph 5: After the break, the episode features an interview with pinball designer Keith Elwin about modern pinball game design and balancing skill shots. It ends with the host playing in his first pinball tournaments.

Title: Dear John and Roman Summary: Roman Mars, host of the podcast 99% Invisible, joins John Green to co-host an episode of the podcast Dear Hank and John. They answer listener questions on topics like using quarters left on arcade games, how to comfort a grieving horse whose partner moved away, whether it's morally wrong to find a roach in your apartment, and if younger people prefer less stinky cheeses. John and Roman discuss their hobbies and interests, like flags, hot sauce, and football (soccer). They talk about falling in love with obscure topics through meeting passionate experts, like a blue cheese class. Roman describes how hosting 99% Invisible has changed his outlook to see the care put into designing our built world. Other topics include: fish veterinarian surgery, overthinking life, John's terrible football team AFC Wimbledon, and an update that Mars is doing well. The hosts banter and riff off each other's comments in a lighthearted, humorous tone. In all, it's an entertaining episode where the two podcasters chat as friends.

The lottery is a popular form of gambling in the United States, with Americans spending over $100 billion on lottery tickets in 2022. However, the likelihood of winning is extremely low, around 1 in 292 million for big jackpot games like Powerball and Mega Millions. Historian Jonathan D. Cohen discusses the history and spread of state-run lotteries in his book "For a Dollar and a Dream." He explains that lotteries were initially proposed in the 1960s and 70s as a solution to state budget problems, with politicians irrationally believing they would be a financial panacea. However, revenues consistently fell short of promises. Cohen details how lotteries spread rapidly between states in a "contact virus"-like manner. Once neighboring states had them, people would cross borders to play, pressuring their own state legislators to adopt lotteries too. Early games were designed around legal hurdles, leading to convoluted drawings. New Jersey introduced the first successful weekly lottery in 1970, paving the way for other states. Scratch tickets, introduced in the 1970s, now account for 60-65% of sales due to their immediacy. Lotto-style jackpot games were added in the 1980s. According to Cohen, lotteries contradict notions of American meritocracy and hard work paying off. They also enable feelings of deserving sudden wealth. Younger generations are showing less interest, perhaps finding gambling outlets like sports betting and crypto instead. Overall, Cohen now sees state lotteries as doing more harm than good, calling them regressive and distorting beliefs around social mobility and wealth. But they continue based on the false premise that gambling is inevitable.

Episode Title: De Fiets Is Niets - In the early 1970s, cars dominated the roads in the Netherlands and cycling rates had plummeted. Many children were getting injured or killed by cars each year. - In 1971, a journalist named Vic Longenhoff wrote a front page article titled "Stop the Child Murder" after his daughter was killed by a car. This sparked a protest movement led by parents. - The movement, called Stop de Kindermoord or "Stop the Child Murder," staged joyful protests blocking roads and demanding safer infrastructure for biking. - Stop de Kindermoord allied with other groups like anarchists and preservationists who also wanted to reduce cars' dominance. - In the 1970s, events like the oil crisis gave people a glimpse of car-free life. The national mood shifted, embracing alternatives like bikes. - The Cyclists' Union pushed for data gathering and guidelines to shape bike-friendly roads nationwide. Their work influenced infrastructure still used today. - The Netherlands now has excellent biking infrastructure and is considered a model. But some feel the activism that sparked the change has faded.

The episode explores the history and impact of the panopticon, a type of prison design characterized by a central watchtower surrounded by cells. The concept was developed in the late 1700s by British philosopher Jeremy Bentham, who believed constant surveillance of prisoners would lead to self-discipline and reform. Bentham envisioned the panopticon as humane and rehabilitative, but in practice it led to solitary confinement and mental illness. The first full-scale panopticon prison was built in Breda, Netherlands in 1886. Though considered state-of-the-art, the Breda prison soon revealed the damaging effects of solitary confinement. After World War II, the Netherlands began closing its panopticon prisons due to their failure to rehabilitate prisoners. Breda's panopticon closed in 2014 and has since been repurposed to house Ukrainian refugees. The panopticon design has become a metaphor for the surveillance state. Though surveillance was not the main issue, the combination of constant monitoring and solitary confinement made these prisons inhumane. The story of Breda shows that even well-intentioned prison designs can lead to cruelty when isolation and lack of human interaction are central features.

Title: The Wilderness Tool Summary: The crosscut saw, a large two-person saw, was an essential tool for clearing forests in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It helped drive America's westward expansion and industrialization by enabling loggers to efficiently harvest huge amounts of timber. After the industrial revolution, the idea of "wilderness" as an escape from urban life emerged. As more roads and cars allowed Americans to access wilderness areas, the government created national parks and forests. The crosscut saw was critical for building infrastructure like roads and trails to accommodate all the new tourists. In the 1960s, the Wilderness Act designated certain public lands as capital-W Wilderness. These areas banned modern machinery, bringing back the crosscut saw. Vintage crosscuts are now prized by trail crews for their superior steel and balance compared to modern saws. The act's strict rules have sparked debates, like whether mountain bikes should be allowed in Wilderness. Some argue the original act could not have foreseen bikes. Others believe bikes damage habitat and disrupt hikers' experience. The act's vague poetic language leads to ongoing arguments about human influence in wilderness. Ultimately, the vintage crosscut's revival highlights complicated feelings about wilderness. While problematic in erasing indigenous history, the desire to protect pristine land endures. The crosscut saw is intertwined with ideals of the frontier, spurring nostalgia despite the tool's industrial past.

Title: Golden - The Power of Silence in a World of Noise Summary: - The podcast episode features stories from the book "Golden" by Lee Mars and Justin Zorn, which explores the power of silence. - It includes the stories of two men who found inner peace through silence - Cyrus Habib, who gave up his political career to become a Jesuit novice and take a vow of silence, and Jarvis J. Masters, a Buddhist inmate on death row in San Quentin Prison. - Habib struggled with the voices in his head telling him to constantly achieve more success. The silence of becoming a Jesuit helped him discern his true inner voice and focus on living in the present moment. - Masters learned Buddhist techniques like meditation to find inner stillness despite the chaos and noise of prison. For him, silence cultivates compassion for other inmates and guards. - The episode argues that silence is available to everyone, not just in remote places. With practice, we can all tune out distractions, slow down our thoughts, and connect to our deeper selves, even in noisy environments. - Engaging with silence can bring healing, reshape our perspectives, and help us find solutions beyond just thinking or talking.

Title: A Whale-Oiled Machine Summary: The podcast explores the history of the whaling industry in New Bedford, Massachusetts in the 19th century. Whale oil was a lucrative product, used for lighting lamps and making soap. In 1865, William F. Nye realized whale oil could also be used as a high-quality lubricant for machines. He started refining whale oil into specialty lubricants for different applications. His whale oil lubricants became popular globally for their ability to work in extreme temperatures. The podcast discusses how Nye and other refiners turned lubrication into a science and technology. When whale populations declined in the early 1900s, Nye Lubricants switched to using synthetic chemicals to make lubricants. Today the company still makes customized lubricants for modern machines. The podcast also shares the story of Antonio Lorenzo Lopes, a Cape Verdean man who worked as an oarsman on American whaling ships. The life of whalers was difficult and dangerous, with poor pay and food. But the whaling industry drew immigrant labor by providing an opportunity to get to America. Even as commercial whaling ended, its legacy persisted in diverse cities like New Bedford.

Title: The Lost Cities of Geo Redux - The story explores two virtual cities that rose to prominence and were later lost - GeoCities and EA Land from the online game The Sims Online. GeoCities - Launched in 1994 as a web hosting service, allowing users to build their own webpages organized into themed "neighborhoods." - Grew rapidly in the late 90s, becoming one of the most visited websites. Acquired by Yahoo in 1999. - Represented the early amateur era of the web before the rise of social media and professionally designed sites. Pages had gaudy designs with neon colors, GIFs, etc. - Yahoo shut down GeoCities in 2009, deleting user content. But an "Archive Team" downloaded and preserved large amounts of data before the shutdown. - This data has been studied to gain insights into early web culture and design. The preservation drew comparisons to saving cave paintings and other cultural artifacts. EA Land/The Sims Online - Online version of The Sims game launched in 2002, focused on socializing rather than competition. - Developed a small but dedicated user base who treated it like an online community. Provided connections for isolated players. - Game struggled and was shut down by EA in 2008. A researcher recorded the final hours, documenting the loss of this virtual world. - Shows how multiplayer games can create meaningful communities and relationships, and the loss people feel when they disappear.

Title: RoboUmp Paragraph 1: In baseball, umpires have to make split-second calls on whether pitches are strikes or balls. They get it right most of the time, but still make mistakes. In 1997, umpire Eric Gregg infamously made many bad strike calls in a playoff game, helping pitcher Livan Hernandez and the Florida Marlins win. This has led Major League Baseball to consider replacing human umpires with "robo-umps," which use camera tracking technology to call balls and strikes with near 100% accuracy. Paragraph 2: The idea of an automated umpire isn't new - a primitive electronic umpire was tested in the 1950s but didn't work well. Modern tracking technology used in TV broadcasts can pinpoint the location of every pitch with precision. This data isn't available to umpires, leading to discrepancies between the TV viewer and the umpire's call. Baseball has been slow to implement tech changes, but robot umps are coming soon, starting with the minor leagues. Paragraph 3: The robot umpire system is extremely accurate but lacks human judgment and feel. Umpires subtly change the strike zone based on context and have an intuition robots can't match. The imperfections and discussions around umpire calls are part of baseball's charm. However, robot umps could reduce heated arguments and make the job safer by taking abuse away from human umpires. Overall, robot umps seem inevitable and may change baseball, but their effects could be positive.

The podcast episode is about the Orange Alternative, an anti-communist group in Poland that used humor and absurdity as a form of protest in the 1980s. In the early 1980s, Poland was facing economic crisis under its communist government aligned with the Soviet Union. There were food shortages and people were struggling to get by. A labor movement called Solidarity formed, demanding reforms. The government responded by imposing martial law, censoring the media, enforcing curfews, and restricting movement. During this time, an art student named Waldemar Fydrych, known as Major Fydrych or Meyer, started painting silly dwarf characters called Krasnoludek in place of anti-government graffiti that was being painted over by authorities. Meyer and his artist friends formed the Orange Alternative, an anti-authoritarian group that advocated for free expression. The Orange Alternative staged absurd happenings around Poland, with people dressing up in orange elf hats and scarves and chanting "dwarves." They used humor and silliness to protest the repressive regime. They also handed out scarce goods like toilet paper at their events. The police arrested members frequently but struggled to know how to respond to these artistic protests. By the late 1980s, the Orange Alternative's happenings were growing massive as revolutionary spirit swept Poland. Along with the Solidarity movement and pressure from abroad, the Orange Alternative is credited with contributing to the downfall of communism in Poland through its use of humor and whimsy to break fear and empower people. Though the Orange Alternative's legacy has faded over time, its approach shows how playfulness and art can be an impactful form of protest even in the face of political repression. The story serves as an inspiration for similar creative dissent happening in Russia against the Ukraine invasion today.

Title: The Chinatown Punk Wars - In the late 1970s, LA's Chinatown was struggling and deserted. Music promoter Paul Greenstein had the idea to start booking rock bands at a struggling tiki restaurant called Madame Wong's to draw crowds. - Madame Wong's became a hot venue for punk and new wave bands, though owner Esther Wong didn't care for the music. She earned the nickname "Godmother of Punk." - Another promoter, Kim Turner, opened a competing club steps away called the Hong Kong Cafe. Unlike Madame Wong's, they welcomed rowdy punk bands. - A rivalry emerged between Madame Wong's and the Hong Kong Cafe, dubbed the "Chinatown Punk Wars" by the media. Esther Wong resented the Hong Kong. - The Hong Kong Cafe closed after just 1.5 years. Madame Wong's lasted longer but closed its Chinatown location in 1986 as the punk scene changed. - While pivotal for the LA punk scene, the clubs were just a temporary fad for Chinatown, which continued evolving after punk's heyday passed.

Paragraph 1: In 1942, American musicians collectively went on strike, halting all commercial music recording for over a year. This was in response to technology threatening their livelihoods. Led by James Caesar Petrillo of the American Federation of Musicians union, it was one of the most impactful union actions in history. Though seen as unpatriotic during wartime, Petrillo believed it was necessary to get musicians fair compensation as records replaced live performances. Paragraph 2: With no new recordings, the public had to rely on the back catalog of old songs. Record companies tried getting around the ban by using vocal groups without instrumentalists, but the music lacked the usual pep. However, in nightclubs, jazz musicians like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie were developing a new sophisticated sound called bebop. This went unrecorded due to the ban. Paragraph 3: After over a year, Petrillo got some record labels to agree to pay royalties to support unemployed musicians. This allowed new recordings again, which provided opportunities for small jazz labels and bebop artists. Songs like "Coco" finally captured the bebop sound on record. This made the new style spread rapidly, transforming jazz and American culture. Though Petrillo's victories were temporary, the musical innovation of bebop was permanent. The episode explores this little-known but highly impactful moment in music history.

Title: Six-on-Six Basketball The podcast explores the history of six-on-six girls' basketball, which was hugely popular in Iowa for nearly a century before being eliminated due to Title IX. The game was played on a full court but with some major differences from modern basketball - only 3 players on each team could shoot, while the other 3 could only play defense. It originated from efforts to make basketball more "ladylike," but became a highly competitive sport in small-town Iowa, where girls' games often outdrew boys'. Six-on-six supported generations of Iowa girls and created basketball stars, but was eventually forced to assimilate to standard rules to allow opportunities for college scholarships. The podcast shares the stories and voices of former players who took pride in the unique, beloved sport. It declined after Title IX mandated equal opportunity, as schools moved to five-on-five rules. The last six-on-six state tournament was held in 1993, marking the end of a long tradition.

Title: The Comrades - The Comrades Marathon is a 56-mile ultramarathon held annually in South Africa. It was started in 1921 and originally only open to white men. - In the 1970s, as part of anti-apartheid efforts, sports in South Africa began integrating. The Comrades opened to all races in 1975 and women in 1976. - The race gained popularity when it began being televised in the 1980s, showing a vision of unity during apartheid. Black South African runners like Samuel Tolo became heroes. - After apartheid ended in 1994, Nelson Mandela embraced sports like the Comrades as symbols of the new South Africa. The race has grown into a beloved national institution. - The Comrades has uniquely bridged South Africa's racial and economic divides. All kinds of people take part, from elites to working class. - The story follows a 12-hour pacer, Shahidah, who helps the slowest runners finish before the cutoff. Finishing is a profound achievement. - The episode explores how sports in South Africa have mirrored its political transformation, using rugby as another example.

Title: A Sea of Yellow Background: - In 2017, 99% Invisible did an episode about the history of Brazil's iconic yellow national soccer jersey. - The jersey's origins trace back to Brazil's heartbreaking loss in the 1950 World Cup final. After that defeat, Brazil held a contest to redesign the national team's uniform. A 19-year-old named Aldir Garcia-Slez won with his design of a yellow shirt with green trim. - The yellow jersey became a beloved symbol of Brazil, uniting the country across class and racial divides. Updates: - In recent years, Brazil's far-right movement has adopted the yellow jersey as a symbol of nationalism and support for right-wing leaders like Jair Bolsonaro. - This caused many Brazilian soccer fans, especially those on the left, to stop wearing the jersey to avoid being seen as Bolsonaro supporters. - When Lula da Silva was elected president in late 2022, he tried to reclaim the yellow jersey as a symbol for all Brazilians. However, the January 8th riots showed the jersey is still firmly associated with the far-right. - Some have suggested Brazil should abandon the yellow jersey, but most think it will remain, though now irreparably politicized.

Title: Mini-Stories Volume 16 - Delaney Hall discussed the term "stroad", a portmanteau of street and road. Stroads try to serve two incompatible purposes - moving vehicles quickly like a road, while also having pedestrian-friendly development like a street. This makes them unsafe and stressful for all users. Stroads are very common in suburban America due to a history of car-centric development. - Producer Jacob Maldonado Medina explored Hacienda Napoles, an amusement park in Colombia. It was built on land that once belonged to Pablo Escobar. After his death, it became a government-owned theme park. It features exotic animals like hippos originally owned by Escobar. The park acknowledges its narco past but doesn't glorify it. - Kurt Kohlstedt discussed hutongs, the narrow alleys between traditional courtyard houses in Beijing. Political upheaval in the 1900s led to demolition and infill of courtyards, creating more hutongs. Their ambiguous public/private status intrigued Kurt on a visit. Though charming, some residents lack amenities like private bathrooms.

Title: Balikbayan Boxes - Balikbayan boxes are large cardboard boxes filled with goods that Filipinos living abroad send to family members in the Philippines. The term "balikbayan" means "return to homeland" in Tagalog. - Sending balikbayan boxes is an annual tradition for the Filipino diaspora, especially around the holidays. The boxes can contain food, clothes, electronics, toiletries - items that are scarce or expensive in the Philippines. - The tradition originated in the 1970s-80s under the Marcos regime. Facing economic crisis, Marcos encouraged mass emigration of Filipino workers who would send remittances back home. This became known as the "balikbayan program." - As Filipinos abroad sent money home, they also started sending care packages full of goods. Marcos promoted these boxes as a way to maintain ties between overseas workers and families in the Philippines. - Today, balikbayan boxes fuel a multi-billion dollar remittance economy. They represent family bonds but also the bittersweet reality of separation for Filipino families. - Common balikbayan box items like Spam tell a complex story of American imperialism, war, and imported food culture in the Philippines.

Introduction - Roman Mars introduces the annual "Mini-Stories" episode, where producers and friends share brief, interesting tales. Emergen-C Advertisement - Advertisement for Emergen-C immune support drink crystals. iXcel Advertisement - Advertisement for iXcel, an online learning platform for kids needing homework help. Mini-Story #1 - Scripted Dialogue for the Queen's Visit - In 2002, a comedy writer named Luciano Casamiri was tasked with writing scripted dialogue for CBC employees to use when meeting Queen Elizabeth during her visit. The scripts had to be approved by Buckingham Palace. - The visit was highly choreographed, with rules like no hugging the Queen or asking if her jewels were real. - It remains unclear if scripted dialogue is common practice for the Queen's public engagements or just something the CBC instituted for this event. Mini-Story #2 - The Longest Escalator Ride - Intern Olivia Green shares about riding the longest escalator in the U.S. at the Wheaton Metro Station in Washington D.C. - The escalator is 230 feet long and takes 3 minutes to ride. - The station was designed to be deep underground since the rock is soft in that area. It has a dramatic, futuristic look that has inspired urban legends about ghosts and aliens. Mini-Story #3 - Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" Crashes Laptops - In the 2000s, playing Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" would crash certain laptops. - The song contains certain high frequencies that matched the resonant frequencies of a common laptop hard drive model at the time. - When played loud, the frequencies physically disrupted the hard drives. Mini-Story #4 - Operation Beaver Drop - In the 1940s, Idaho Fish and Game parachuted beavers into remote wilderness areas to repopulate them. - Beavers were put in wooden crates with parachutes and dropped from planes 500-800 feet high. - They tested it extensively and relocated 76 beavers successfully, with only 1 fatality. - This pioneered the practice of relocating animals by airlift.

- In the mid-20th century, the radio dial in the U.S. was more integrated, with stations featuring a variety of perspectives and voices including black talk radio and music. - The FCC's "Fairness Doctrine", established in 1949, required stations to present multiple perspectives on controversial issues. This helped increase diversity on the airwaves. - In the 1960s, civil rights leaders challenged racist stations like WLBT in Mississippi for failing to cover the movement. This led to a legal battle that gave local communities power to challenge broadcast licenses. - The rise of FM radio in the 1970s allowed AM radio to focus on talk formats. Call-in shows became popular, creating a more interactive, democratic medium. - During the "public interest" era of the 1960s/70s, stations were required to ascertain community needs. This led to more news/public affairs programming on radio/TV. - The Reagan administration eliminated the Fairness Doctrine and other public interest policies in the 1980s, allowing one-sided partisan talk to flourish. - Rush Limbaugh became the breakout star of conservative talk radio after the Fairness Doctrine ended. Other hosts like Glenn Beck followed his model. - The 1996 Telecommunications Act allowed massive consolidation in radio, enabling companies like ClearChannel to dominate with syndicated conservative programming. - Structural factors have entrenched right-wing talk radio and shut out progressive voices. Decisions that increased diversity on the airwaves decades ago have been undone.

In 2012, wildlife biologist Miguel Ordeñana discovered a mountain lion, also known as a cougar or puma, living in Los Angeles' Griffith Park. This was a surprise, since mountain lions typically live in more remote areas and Griffith Park is surrounded by major highways and urban development. Miguel named the mountain lion P-22. Researchers put a tracking collar on P-22 and found he had likely crossed two major freeways from the Santa Monica Mountains to get to the park. He was stuck on an "island" of habitat with no way to connect with other mountain lions to find a mate. P-22 became a local celebrity in LA. An advocacy campaign called Save LA Cougars used his story to raise awareness and fundraise for a wildlife crossing over Highway 101. The goal is to provide a safe passage for mountain lions and other animals to improve habitat connectivity in the fragmented LA landscape. After years of campaigning, the wildlife crossing is now under construction. It will be the biggest urban wildlife crossing in the world. While P-22 himself may never use it due to his advanced age, the crossing is an important step toward coexistence between humans and wildlife in the city. P-22 inspired Angelenos to care about urban wildlife and work to stitch the fragmented habitat back together.

Title: Super Citizens Summary: The podcast tells the story of "real-life superheroes" who dress up in costumes and try to make a positive difference in their communities. It focuses on civic-minded heroes who aim to solve societal problems, not just fight crime. One example is El Piatonito, a "pedestrian vigilante" in Los Angeles who wears a luchador mask and pushes cars that block crosswalks. He wants to raise awareness about pedestrian safety. His inspiration is Antanas Mockus, the eccentric former mayor of Bogota, Colombia who patrolled the streets as "SuperCivico" in the 1990s. As mayor, Mockus used humorous theatrical tactics to tackle issues like traffic deaths and government corruption. Other real-life superheroes spotlighted include Clean Panther, who picks up litter in Japan, and the Fox, a 1960s Chicago teacher who fought corporations polluting local rivers. While some superheroes just want attention, many are genuinely trying to help their communities. However, taking the law into your own hands can be problematic without proper oversight and training. Still, these creatively civic-minded heroes inspire people to make a difference in unique ways.

Episode Title: Freedom House Ambulance Service - In the 1960s, emergency medical services (EMS) were rudimentary, often just involving transporting patients to the hospital with little treatment. Police were often responsible for emergency transport despite having minimal medical training. - In Pittsburgh's Hill District, a largely black neighborhood, residents distrusted the mostly white police force and were reluctant to call them for help. The police also took their time responding to calls from the Hill. - Phil Hallin, a community organizer, partnered with Dr. Peter Safar to create the Freedom House Ambulance Service, recruiting unemployed young black men from the Hill District to become the world's first paramedics. - Freedom House paramedics received intensive training from Dr. Safar and Dr. Nancy Caroline to provide advanced life-saving care on scene before transporting patients. This pioneering model transformed emergency medicine. - The Freedom House paramedics faced resistance from police who saw them as competition, as well as from hospitals and patients unfamiliar with their new methods. But their results proved their expertise. - Despite their accomplishments, Pittsburgh's mayor underfunded and undermined Freedom House, eventually replacing it with a paramedic service staffed by white recruits. The contributions of the original Freedom House paramedics were largely forgotten.

Title: Train Set Track Two Summary: - Wellington, New Zealand has hundreds of private funicular railways that residents use to access their cliffside homes. They are quirky and prone to breaking down. - In Goat Canyon, California, daring hobbyists build makeshift rail carts from spare parts to ride on abandoned stretches of rail. This can be illegal but some areas have legal rail biking options. - Musician Neil Young has a lifelong passion for model trains. He modified vintage Lionel trains to help his son Ben who has cerebral palsy engage with them. He later sold parts of his collection and donated proceeds to Ben's school. - Saudi Arabia built a metro system in Mecca that operates only one week per year to serve pilgrims during the Hajj. It has the highest capacity in the world during that time. - The persistent myth that U.S. rail gauges come from ancient Roman chariots is fanciful. The spacing is tied more to design constraints than history. - In rural Alaska, the flag stop train stops on demand when passengers wave flags. It provides a lifeline for remote residents. - A proposed 50-mile tunnel linking Alaska and Russia could connect Asia and North America but tensions have stalled ideas that date back over a century.

- The episode focuses on the enduring popularity of "Ivy League" style clothing in America. This preppy look originated on Ivy League campuses in the mid-20th century. - A 1965 Japanese photo book called "Take Ivy" documented this style and became very influential, shaping people's ideas of what "Ivy" style is. The book showed young white male students dressed in button-down shirts, sweaters, khakis, loafers, etc. - Though associated with elites, Ivy style has permeated mainstream fashion over decades. Elements like oxford shirts and chinos are now simply seen as "classics" or "basics." - The style seems to come in and out of fashion in cycles, but never fully goes away. Currently there is renewed interest in preppy looks. - Reasons given for its longevity include its ability to communicate different things in different eras - rebellion, coolness, intellectualism, privilege. It also offers a balance of conformity and individuality. - Though originally worn by American elites, today the look does not necessarily signify wealth. Its meaning has shifted over time. - The episode explores how trends work in general - as a form of communication and group cohesion, but also subject to the forces of capitalism.

The Safety Bicycle The bicycle is a simple machine, yet its evolution took many twists and turns over nearly two centuries. Early pedal-less prototypes like the 1817 Laufe Machine led to the 1860s bone shaker, which had pedals but was extremely uncomfortable. The 1870s penny-farthing with its giant front wheel solved some engineering problems but was still unsafe. The real breakthrough came in the 1880s when the safety bicycle was invented. It had same-sized wheels, a chain drive instead of pedals connected directly to the wheels, pneumatic rubber tires, and a diamond-shaped frame. This made cycling much more accessible and kicked off a worldwide bicycle craze in the 1890s. The bicycle faced backlash as a symbol of women's independence and dress reform. But it was also embraced by suffragettes and played a role in protests around the world. In China, there was a massive state-driven bicycle boom followed by a turn toward cars. Recently, bikes have seen a resurgence, especially e-bikes. The pandemic led many cities to add bike infrastructure too. The bicycle's meaning has always shifted across time and cultures. But better bike infrastructure and the rise of e-bikes could help bring about a real cycling revolution in cities worldwide. Bikes aren't inherently political, but they enable mobility and have been tied to movements for change.

Title: Walk of Fame - The Hollywood Walk of Fame was created in the 1950s by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce as a way to maintain Hollywood's glamour and attract tourists. - The Walk of Fame contains over 2,700 terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. Each star honors a celebrity in the categories of motion pictures, television, audio recording, radio, and live theatre/performance. - The film industry was originally based on the East Coast, but moved to Hollywood to escape Thomas Edison's patent control. Hollywood became synonymous with the glamour of the movie business. - The studio system dominated Hollywood's golden age, with a few major studios controlling stars and theaters. The 1948 Paramount Decree forced studios to give up ownership of theaters. - The Walk of Fame was conceived when Hollywood's glamour was fading in the 1950s. It tapped into the public's fascination with celebrities and created a tourist attraction. - The Walk has evolved over time with changes to the nomination process and expanding the honored categories. Ceremonies are now held when new stars are unveiled. - While the Walk succeeded as a tourist attraction, it did not prevent the decline of Hollywood Blvd in the 60s and 70s. The neighborhood has since rebounded through redevelopment. - The Walk of Fame immortalizes celebrities, but many honored stars have faded from public memory. It serves as a reminder of Hollywood's fickle relationship with fame.

Paragraph 1: In 2004, South Africa won the bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It was the first African nation to host the tournament. South Africans celebrated in the streets, eager to showcase their country after years of apartheid had banned them from international sports. A sound came to define their World Cup celebrations - the vuvuzela. The two-foot plastic horn plays one droning note and was relatively unknown globally prior to 2010. Paragraph 2: During the World Cup, the vuvuzela's constant hum drowned out fan chants and songs. It caused headaches for TV broadcasters and was blamed for communication issues on the field. Critics condemned it as an irritating new noisemaker, but supporters viewed it as an authentic instrument grown out of South Africa's rich football tradition. The debate sparked questions about the vuvuzela's origins and who had the right to claim it. Paragraph 3: One backstory connects the vuvuzela to Freddie "Saddam" Marquet, a passionate South African soccer fan. He claims to have invented a predecessor in the 1960s from a bicycle horn and coined the name vuvuzela in the 1990s. A plastics company later mass produced and marketed their own version. Both sides dispute who created and popularized the vuvuzela. Paragraph 4: The vuvuzela became entangled with marketing around Africa's World Cup. Despite mixed reactions, it was embraced by South Africans as representing their identity. The noisemaking also continued a working class tradition of repurposing items like mining helmets and alarms. The debates reveal the complexities around cultural heritage and the vuvuzela's contested origins.

Title: Wickedest Sound - In the 1950s, sound systems emerged in Kingston, Jamaica as a way to provide music for dance parties when live bands were scarce. - Sound system operators started out playing American R&B, jazz, and blues records on large speaker setups to entertain crowds. - To stay competitive, sound system crews tried to get exclusive tracks and built increasingly powerful speaker rigs. - When it got harder to import American records, producers like Clement "Coxsone" Dodd started recording local artists to make original Jamaican music. - In the late 1950s, artists created early ska by shifting the R&B beat, founding Jamaica's first recording industry. - Studio One and other studios opened, producing more homegrown music like rocksteady and eventually reggae. - Dub music developed from manipulating reggae tracks to emphasize bass and drums for sound systems. - Sound system culture spread internationally, influencing remixing, DJ performances, and genres like hip hop, drum and bass, and EDM.

Title: Tale of the Jackalope - The jackalope is a mythical creature that is a horned rabbit, often seen mounted on walls in the American West. It originated as a taxidermy hoax in the 1930s by two brothers in Wyoming. - The jackalope myth and imagery spread widely thanks to Wall Drug, a roadside attraction in South Dakota that has sold jackalope mounts for over 70 years. - Real horned rabbits do exist in nature, caused by a virus studied by scientist Richard Shope in the 1930s. His work led to the HPV vaccine. - The jackalope fits into the tradition of the trickster in folklore, as a boundary-crossing prankster figure. It also inspires hybrid musical styles. - The jackalope inhabits the blurry line between real and fake. It crosses boundaries, keeping a straight face as both a joke and a genuine piece of Western heritage.

Title: President Clinton Interviews Roman Mars Summary: Former President Bill Clinton interviewed Roman Mars, host of the 99% Invisible podcast, for an episode of his podcast Why Am I Telling You This?. They had a wide-ranging conversation about cities, design, and infrastructure. Some key points: - Clinton was interested in how Mars became fascinated with overlooked design elements in cities. Mars shared how learning the backstory of a Chicago building made him appreciate its design more. - They discussed some of Mars' favorite stories from his podcast and book, like city flags, the breakaway steel poles designed for safety, and how nature inspires design. - Clinton asked how engineers think about safety features like breakaway poles. Mars explained the dual design challenge of making poles sturdy yet collapsible on impact. - They talked about patterns in nature influencing human construction across history. Mars said nature provides inspiration but humanity can also innovate beyond nature. - Regarding today's polarization, Mars said his work shows our interdependence via infrastructure. Clinton agreed physical capital can increase social capital. - For infrastructure spending, Mars argued maintenance should be the priority over new solutions. Clinton concurred maintenance builds confidence. Overall, it was a thoughtful dialogue about appreciating the designed world and how it connects us.