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[The 99% Invisible Mini-Stories: From Competitive Swimsuits to Unsinkable Survivors]-[Mini-Stories: Volume 22]

99% Invisible · B2 · 2026-01-06

Technology
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📋 Summary

Innovations, Disasters, and Art: A 99% Invisible Mini-Stories Compilation

In this episode of 99% Invisible, host Roman Mars invites producers Jacob Medina-Gleason, Joe Rosenberg, and Kurt Kolstad to share a series of "mini-stories." These narratives explore the intersection of design, human persistence, and the unintended consequences of technological advancement.

The "Laser Racer": Performance-Enhancing Design in Swimming

Producer Jacob Medina-Gleason opens the discussion with the controversy surrounding the "Laser Racer," a racing suit launched by Speedo in 2008. The suit utilized a thin layer of polyurethane on areas like the abs and lower back to help swimmers "create less drag" as they moved through the water. While the suit was initially permitted, it sparked significant debate regarding fairness. Because the suit provided such a distinct advantage—with over 90 percent of medalists at the 2008 Olympics wearing it—it led to a flurry of world records being broken. Eventually, World Aquatics banned these "rubberized" suits to prevent the sport from becoming an arms race of equipment, illustrating the fine line between athletic progress and technological over-correction.

The Sweeping Summit: High-Tech Curling

Jacob also highlights a similar tension in the sport of curling. In 2015, the introduction of new broom heads, which utilized high-tech fabrics acting like "microscopic sandpaper," allowed sweepers to manipulate the rock's path, speed, and direction with unprecedented precision. These "performance enhancing brooms" caused such outrage in the curling world that it necessitated a "sweeping summit" in 2016 to regulate equipment. The story serves as a reminder that even in niche sports, design innovation can threaten the integrity of the game, forcing governing bodies to prioritize a level playing field.

Violet Jessup: The Unsinkable Stewardess

Producer Joe Rosenberg recounts the remarkable life of Violet Constance Jessup, a stewardess whose career is defined by her survival of three maritime disasters. Jessup was aboard the RMS Olympic when it collided with a British naval cruiser in 1911, the RMS Titanic when it struck an iceberg in 1912, and the HMHS Britannic when it hit a German mine in 1916.

Her experience on the Britannic is particularly harrowing; as the ship began to sink, Jessup famously prioritized grabbing her "toothbrush" before fleeing. She eventually had to jump into the water to avoid the ship's spinning propellers, suffering a "terrible blow on the head" while trapped under a lifeboat. Despite these calamities, Jessup remained a resilient figure, and her story remains a testament to the unpredictable nature of luck—or as Rosenberg puts it, whether one’s "glass of luck" is half empty or half full.

Art-O-Mat: Adaptive Reuse in Vending

Finally, Kurt Kolstad discusses the "Art-O-Mat," a project started by artist Clark Whittington. These machines are repurposed cigarette dispensers that now vend small, affordable pieces of art. Each piece must adhere to the dimensions of a "king-sized hard pack," a standard born from historical legislation regarding cigarette production.

What began as a "dude with a project" provocation has evolved into a widespread cultural phenomenon with over 200 machines globally. By applying the concept of "adaptive reuse" to old vending machines, the Art-O-Mat makes art accessible to the general public, turning a mundane, once-harmful appliance into a vehicle for creative expression. As Mars notes, it serves as a way to "add some sort of color around the built world," proving that even discarded technology can be transformed into something meaningful.

🎯Key Sentences

1
Happy 2026, beautiful nerds.
2
I love an Olympics-ish mini, so hit me.
3
I'm no physicist, but drag slows you down.
4
I imagine they want this stuff to be fair.
5
It started to raise some flags for sure.
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📝Key Phrases

1
kick off
2
take advantage of
3
take it up a notch
4
play devil's advocate
5
even the playing field
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📖 Transcript

On Thursday, January 22nd, I'll be hosting a conversation with Nate DiMeo, of The Memory Palace at KQED in San Francisco.
I could not be more of a fan of Nate and his writing, which is the best in all of podcasting.
Please come see us and say hi.
Again, that's The Memory Palace live at KQED in San Francisco on Thursday, January 22nd.
We'll have a link to tickets in the show notes.
This is 99% Invisible.

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