99% Invisible

100 Objects #2: 60-Degree Screw

May 29, 2026·35 min·5-min readnarrativehistory
Podzilla Summary (5 min)
TLDR
The episode explores how the standardization of something as seemingly trivial as the screw thread became a cornerstone of American global influence, revealing how invisible technical agreements underpin modern industrial power and empire.


PREMISE

Historian Daniel Immerwahr and hos

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Guest

D

Daniel Immerwahr

narrative on 99% Invisible

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Daniel ImmerwahrHerbert HooverRoman Mars

Books

How to Hide an Empireby Daniel Immerwahr

Companies

BBC StudiosInternational Organization for Standardization

Topics

American HistoryGlobal NewsHistory Of ScienceLong Form JournalismMilitary History

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