Atomic Tattoos
99% Invisible16 Tammi 2019

Atomic Tattoos

In the early 1950s, teenage students in Lake County, Indiana, got up from their desks, marched down the halls and lined up at stations. There, fingers were pricked, blood was tested and the teenagers were sent on to the library, where they waited to get a specialized tattoo. Each one was in the same place on the torso, just under the left arm, and spelled out the blood type of the student.

This experimental program was called Operation Tat-Type. It was administered by the county and the idea was simple: to make it easier to transfuse blood after an atomic bomb. At the age of 16, producer Liza Yeager's grandmother, who went to school in Lake County, was permanently marked in anticipation of a nuclear catastrophe.

Atomic Tattoos

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.

Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaksot(784)

And The Winner Is

And The Winner Is

There’s a little trophy shop called Aardvark Laser Engraving  down the street from our office in Oakland. Its small but bustling, and its windows are stuffed to the brim with awards made of all kinds ...

26 Marras 201413min

Three Records from Sundown

Three Records from Sundown

This week on the show we’re presenting one of our favorite radio features, “Three Records from Sundown,” about singer Nick Drake. The documentary, by producer Charles Maynes, retraces the roots of Dra...

19 Marras 201429min

Vexillonaire

Vexillonaire

Vexillologists—those who study flags—tend to fall into one of two schools of thought. The first is one that focuses on history, category, and usage, and maintains that vexillologists should be scholar...

12 Marras 201411min

Edge of Your Seat

Edge of Your Seat

“A Chair is a difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier.” — Mies van der Rohe. The chair presents an interesting design challenge, because it is an object that disappears when in use. The person...

4 Marras 201414min

O-U-I-J-A

O-U-I-J-A

The Ouija board is so simple and iconic that it looks like it comes from another time, or maybe another realm. The game is not as ancient as it was designed to look, but those two arched rows of lette...

28 Loka 201417min

Good Bread

Good Bread

The first print advertisement for Wonder Bread came out before the bread itself. It stated only that “a wonder” was coming. In a lot of ways, the statement was true. Wonder Bread was the perfect loaf....

22 Loka 201415min

Kickstart Radiotopia- A Storytelling Revolution

Kickstart Radiotopia- A Storytelling Revolution

When you support Radiotopia, you are making sure 99% Invisible can keep coming to you weekly and you’ll be supporting our entire collective of award-winning, independent radiomakers. Thanks!   Subscri...

19 Loka 20142min

Lights Out

Lights Out

On July 13th, 1977, lightning struck an electricity transmission line in New York City, causing the line’s automatic circuit breaker to kick in. The electricity from the affected line was diverted to ...

14 Loka 201414min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
mimmit-sijoittaa
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-rahapodi
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
rss-rahamania
rahapuhetta
rss-laakispodi
rss-sisalto-kuntoon
herrasmieshakkerit
rss-lahtijat
rss-bisnesta-bebeja
rss-seuraava-potilas
inderespodi
rss-sami-miettinen-neuvottelija
leadcast
timanttia-hiomassa
rss-kohti-unelmia
rss-juurisyy-johtamisesta-kilpailuetua
rss-porssipodi