In 1821, two Rhode Island brothers went looking for buyers for their woolen fabric, and stumbled into a lucrative, captive market: Southern slave plantations. Listen to A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

Behind every perfect nature-inspired design is a far more complicated story. Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4wKHcIq

The Brannock Device transformed the way we measure feet forever, and more than a century after its invention… it has barely changed. Listen to A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

A simple cardboard box helped transform Finland into one of the best places in the world to raise a child. Listen to 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4vTqPrE

In the early 1970s, Bruce Lee made nunchaku (nunchucks) cool — But the nunchucks craze coincided with something much bigger: the birth of a radical new Asian American identity. Listen to A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

Neil MacGregor reflects on creating the landmark series that changed how people think about history. Then, revisit the Rosetta Stone, the artifact that unlocked ancient Egypt. Listen to 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://99percentinvisible.org

In 1982, a twelve-year-old paperboy, Johnny Gosch, vanished from a quiet Iowa street and sparked an unlikely campaign... Listen to A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed, wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://link.podtrac.com/100_objects

A Louisiana man born into slavery designs an airship with hopes to take flight. Those plans are interrupted, but maybe not forever. Listen to 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉

In 1902, an American classic was born: the teddy bear. Named after President Theodore Roosevelt, it sparked an idea…maybe every president should have their own stuffed animal. Listen to A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

We keep score of everything these days. But what happens when the numbers start changing what we actually care about? Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4gndow5

Before the Declaration of Independence was even a twinkle in the founding fathers' eyes, there was James Otis. Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 🎧

Before the internet went global, one undersea gamble made it possible. Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4fdt0kw

How was a household tool reimagined as a deadly weapon…that never actually existed? Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed, wherever you get your podcasts👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

Billions of state quarters disappeared from circulation...and that was exactly the plan. Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4gC8JGy

Why did an ordinary schoolbook become so treasured that enslaved people risked their lives to possess it? Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed, wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

Love it or hate it, one buzzing horn changed the sound of the World Cup forever. Listen to 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/3S30Xvn

This is the story of Thaddeus Lowe — showman, scientist, and dreamer — whose balloon flight from Cincinnati went wildly off course and straight into the Civil War. Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Minneapolis meetup this last weekend! You nerds are even more beautiful in person 💛

Behind every cheesy karaoke track was a surprisingly ambitious filmmaking experiment. Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4osEeEX

A stack of dusty paperwork, teeming with unheard voices. What do Civil War pension files reveal about one of the most successful slave rebellions in American history? Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

Canada reshaped its music industry with a quirky radio rule that changed who got heard 🇨🇦 Listen to a new episode of 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4vh5Y1A

Attention Twin Cities! Come hang out with your fellow Beautiful Nerds this Sunday for A 99PI Meetup (100 Objects Edition!) (P.S. Bonus pod merch for early arrivals) #99pi 🎙️99PI Meetup in Mpls [100 Objects Edition] 📆Sunday, June 7th @ 2:00 PM 📍Spyhouse Coffee in Northeast Mpls

A tiny screw. A precise angle. How America built a hidden empire, one standard at a time. Listen to a new episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects on the 99% Invisible feed 👉 https://bit.ly/4fNZhPW

San Francisco Story Fest is one month away. One night. One stage. No replays. The villain at the core of Emmett's story is not a person, but a notorious piece of Bay area infrastructure. 🎟️ https://www.cityboxoffice.com/StoryFest Sponsored by @americansunited @knightfdn @propublica @wsanfrancisco

What started as a revolutionary treatment for river blindness became something far messier. Listen wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4wOcSNi

Can't wait for more 100 Objects? You can listen to Object #2 today by signing up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ 👉 https://bit.ly/3JXKO6d

A locked iron safe, sealed for 100 years. What objects did Americans choose to remember? From 99% Invisible and BBC Studios, the first episode of A History of the United States in 100 Objects is available now 👉 https://bit.ly/4nA0z2U

As wild and random as they might seem, a lot of work—and even poetry—goes into coming up with today's catchiest, most unforgettable drug names. Listen to 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/4dnw3oo

Get your first look at A History of the United States in 100 Objects, a new series from 99% Invisible and BBC Studios. Listen to the trailer now on the 99PI feed 👉 https://link.podtrac.com/100objects_trailer

Why is it suddenly so hard to fix the stuff we depend on most? Listen to 99% Invisible wherever you get your podcasts 👉 https://bit.ly/42QC2go