As referenced in the episode Brilliantly Boring, Roman points out the special edition manhole covers in Japan.

When you can’t tear it down, make art.

https://pbs.org/video/bridging-the-divide-2nu5sn?source=social

Favorite Robert Caro moments/quotes? 👇

The overall tenor of What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law has felt like it's grown slowly but steadily darker since it came back, but I'm not sure I've heard Roman this desperately at a loss about what he's discussing since... maybe ever? In any show? Really not sure. Is it just me? Am I projecting my own dread about the looming election? Are we just doomed to hear Roman get sadder and sadder with each episode now?

Remember when grocery shelves went bare and cargo ships clogged the California coast? That chaos wasn’t just a pandemic hiccup—it was a symptom of a supply chain stretched to its limits. With insights from Peter Goodman’s new book, discover the unlikely invention that made the modern supply chain possible—and why it’s now at risk of collapsing.

How the World Ran Out of Everything

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This isnt episode worthy since it's crime weird fiction....buuuuuttttttt listening to 99pi makes me think about this book on a different level

I find the twin cities set up so wild and amazing. How would 2 cities coexist inter-meshed with each other!? Like the basic infrastructure alone is mind boggling. They vaguely touch on roads as both sides share some of the same roads so who takes care of the cross hatch and how and like... everything else that goes along with it. Roads here are so 180 between state line already I can't see 2 countries agreeing who pays for a pothole.

And cross hatch buildings!! Omg the electrical and plumbing being split for 2 countries!? Like when they building the structure do they have parallel plumbing of does everyone share the same pipes and lines? There's a mention of someone's house being on fire and Borlu watching it on international news as it happenes outside his window!

And what about the soft stuff!? Radio and television!? If the waves exist close enough anyone can tap in right? So how, why, who what, all of it!?

It's taken me 3x as long to get through this book as I get going back just to listen to how people don't interact and unsee things between Ul Qoma and Beszel.

This world is fascinating!!

Anyone else have an issue with SimpliSafe? I switched over a couple of years ago. I can’t blame Roman in full (caveat emptor) but without 99pi I wouldn’t know about SimpliSafe and definitely responded to the personal endorsement.

Anyway, long story short, SimpliSafe is not only less reliable than non-alarm connected cams I have used in the past (going back 10+ years) but they have had a tendency to ignore requests from customers for software improvements (not just me, you can Google it). I am a podcast host and I would pull my host read if I found out a product was this tone deaf. I’ll phrase this as a question: how responsible should Roman be in this case? Speaking for myself it’s undermined my trust in him as an endorser and I sure won’t be taking his word on things like Article.

I missed Elliott’s and Roman’s joint interview livestream on October 7th and I want to go back and watch. Does anyone have a link of where I can watch it now? (I’m willing to pay for it)

Yaaas I've been waiting like 4 yrs for this!! Thank you!!

Every fall, a vacant Toronto storefront is possessed by Spirit Halloween, the pop-up shop haunting 1,500 empty spaces across North America. What does this seasonal invasion say about the retail apocalypse? And why are people so drawn to its eerie aisles? Explore the spooky rise of Spirit Halloween—where the scares are temporary, but the obsession is real.

Spirit Halloween

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hey y'all! i've posted about this on the 99pi discord, but for those of you not on there, i want to let you know about a comedy show i'm putting up next week. it's called The Power Joker and it's a "late night" style talk show hosted by the one and only Robert Moses (well, my friend Sam Rogal as RM). the theme of the night will be "tolls" and we're going to be joined by congestion pricing expert Charles Komanoff, along with the hosts of The Climate Denier's Playbook (great podcast) Rollie Williams and Nicole Conlan. In addition to all that, we've got a handful or comedians joining us and live music from Zenizen. should be a ton of fun. and the show is at Caveat in NYC but also available to stream (for up to 7 days).

hope to see some of you there! thanks for reading,

evan

https://caveat.nyc/events/the-power-joker-a-robert-moses-comedy-show-11-3-2024

https://preview.redd.it/huil8zsfw8wd1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=62b4e75a177858331469c7047e34aee3e2a439fe

Does anyone have trouble focusing on the episode because there is background noises mixed in? I’m currently listening to Hacking Ikea and it has a fast-beat metronome like noise in the background that I cannot get past. I have to turn off the episode. I’ve noticed this in many different episodes over time and it’s so distracting for me

Has there ever NOT been a housing crisis in major cities that wasnt war related?

War resulting in mass death and minimal population growth is the only thing I can thing of that would slow the need for housing.

This is the tenth official episode, breaking down the 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Power Broker by our hero Robert Caro. 

This week, Roman and Elliott also sit down with Clara Jeffery, the editor-in-chief of Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting. She’s had a long and storied career editing works of investigative journalism that speaks truth to power and afflicts the comfortable, including so she brings that perspective to her understanding of The Power Broker. Clara hadn’t read The Power Broker before and this podcast inspired her to pick it up and read along with us.

On today’s show, Elliott Kalan and Roman Mars will cover the last section of Part 6 and the first section of Part 7 (Chapter 39 through Chapter 41), discussing the major story beats and themes.

The Power Broker #10: Clara Jeffery

Join the discussion on Discord and our Subreddit.

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Looking for a specific podcast about the Axelrod Tournament about selfishness and altruism.

https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/soco/projects/1998-99/game-theory/axelrod.html

I need help, and an hour of Googling on my own has not found the answer. Believe me, I tried.

Last December I took a road trip with my Son and my Dad and we listened to a great episode of a particular podcast. It was like 99pi because it was documentary style, and it was like the public radio style but without that weird aggressive "normalness" that most NPR-type podcasts do (like they are embarrassed of being too nerdy or niche, so they are always just slightly more boring than they need to be). So this was a highly produced, independent podcast. Like 99pi but not 99pi. So what was it?

What podcast did I listen to? It wasn't Reply-All. It was DEFINITELY NOT Radio Lab or Freakonomics. It was about the Prisoner Dilemma and the work of Robert Axelrod, but that wasn't in the episode title. The episode title might have been something about "the jungle" or zebras or antelope maybe.

It dug into the details of the math a little. It told the story from 30 years ago anecdote by anecdote like the great podcasts do it, with edited interview clips.

(I can't check my Google Podcast app to find the answer because Google DELETED their podcast app)

Today, we have three stories about designs meant to fool you. Camouflage meant to fool U-boats. Highways designed to fool your brain into going way faster than it should want to. And impeccably made fake signs meant to guide you to the right freeway. Three classic, favorite 99PI's completely updated, remixed, and rescored.

Trompe L'oeil

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In this bonus episode, Roman unearths the surprising story behind the 99% Invisible's name and delves into the unnoticed brilliance of everyday design—from the origins of reinforced concrete to the artistry of Japan’s manhole covers. 

This episode is sponsored by PNC Bank, where “brilliantly boring” means stability that allows you to focus on what truly matters.

Brilliantly Boring

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Hi everyone my name is David and im having a real hard time getting a recent discovery recognized. I didnt really go anywhere but to a few facebook groups. And i found nothing but sheer ignorance and shallow replies. Any ideas on what i should do to get my discovery recognized?Thank you any help on the matter would be greatly appreciated!P.S if there are enough of yous that are interested i will take the time to post my discovery

In the heart of Copenhagen, a former military base transformed into Christiania, a self-proclaimed anarchist commune where residents built a new way of living, free from traditional rules. But as the years passed, external pressures and internal conflicts—especially a growing drug trade—put Christiania’s radical ideals to the test, forcing the community to confront whether it can stay true to its roots or be reshaped by the forces around it.

If you want to learn more about Christiania – and hear other fascinating stories from around the world – be sure to check out Scott Gurian’s own podcast, Far From Home.

Christiania

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If I'm not mistaken, there was a guest podcast that dealt on the changes on the music industry thru time, from the early times, with music being recorded and broadcasted (in opposition to the traditional live music, the only option 'til the recording technology) up to today, with the streaming revolution. If I'm not wrong, again, it had 6 episodes, and Roman show one of the in our best loved podcast of the known and unknown universe...

I am hopefully not the only one who was midway through a great 99pi episode, only for it to come to a screeching halt from the Fundrise Flagship Fund ad read. For so many episodes, i have heard about inequality, housing issues—the roots of it, why things are the way they are. I’ve heard how the rich ruined the LA River and the poor or just barely comfortable get screwed over. I’ve heard about blockbusting, how dingbats skirt code violations, how shade is for the rich, how it took a private citizen’s own buddha statue to stop urban blight. Because i love this podcast and Roman so much, I listened to the power broker as well as read it this year, the epitome of money and power just makes things suck for regular folks like myself.

Therefore, I was dismayed to hear (as a middle class renter so so close to the verge of owning a home again but pretty discouraged right now) an advertisement for another cog in the machine of housing issues and inequality… a real estate fund. Equity groups/airBnb investors/rich people knowing how they can screw us more and get richer are stepping on our necks at every turn. It is impossible to buy s house to just own and live in around here. I blame stitcher but roman for selling it to them. It felt out of place and not like an advertiser I’ve heard in all these good years. Do not support those who get rich from pillaging the poor peoples necessities like food, clothing, shelter. I’m sure theres a lot about this subject i dont know- would love an episode about Fundrise Flagship real estate investment fund.They have a BILLION dollars and they know how to use it.

Hi all, I am really enjoying the Power Broker series podcasts and was wondering if anyone can recommend me book club podcasts that are formatted similiarily. Thanks! :)

I have long been a proponent of the idea that climate change is a marketing problem not a technical problem, that we already know everything we need to know how to do in order to solve climate change.

Even in my sleepy little city of Perth Western Australia there are a bunch of start ups that are creating the solutions to climate change.

Designing better, more energy efficient homes, making plastic from seaweed, converting large mining equipment to Ev's and so on.

I really want to see a series where you interview people who have created businesses that are "built for this"

The unexpected story of how Alfred Nobel’s invention of dynamite—designed to build the world—was co-opted by anarchists to bring about its destruction. From revolutionizing infrastructure to arming political radicals, dynamite shaped the rise of both terrorism and modern law enforcement.

The Infernal Machine

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Hi all. I'm interested in ordering a Power Broker "tour dates" tee shirt, but I need some info that doesn't seem to be listed on the website. First, is the shirt 100% cotton? Second, there is a size chart on the bottom of the store page, but the details for the shirt aren't clear. Is it a Bella Canvas unisex shirt? Thanks in advance! --Gail

There was an episode in the past year that mentions ghost lanes. Since then, I've been looking for one in Berkeley. I think the intersection of University Ave and Kala Bagai Way has a ghost lane going northward. There's a small building that is clearly a gap filler between two multi-storey buildings. On the map it looks like the building has an awkward shape.

37.8722992, -122.2677856