Alphabetical Order
99% Invisible1 Dec 2021

Alphabetical Order

In much of the western world, alphabetical order is simply a default we take for granted. It’s often the one we try first -- or the one we use as a last resort when all the other ordering methods fail. It’s boring, but it works, and it’s so ingrained that it’s hard to imagine not using it. But despite its endurance for most of its history, the alphabet wasn’t initially used to order much of anything. Judith Flanders, author of A Place For Everything, a history of alphabetical order, says that in societies like ancient Rome and early medieval Europe, writing implements were still rare. So what mattered most was organizing knowledge in a way that helped you to memorize it. And that was usually much easier to do in the order you naturally came across the information, like: chronologically, or by size, or geography, or region, or hierarchically.

Alphabetical Order

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.

Avsnitt(779)

Two Storeys

Two Storeys

While we’re gearing up for season 3, we present two pieces from two shows we love: First up, Language Bites from RTE Choice in Ireland. Language Bites is a series of 1-minute programs exploring the or...

22 Aug 20128min

Names vs The Nothing

Names vs The Nothing

New Public Sites is an investigation into some of the invisible sites and overlooked features of our everyday public spaces. These are the liminal spaces within cities that are not traditionally frame...

6 Aug 201212min

Some Other Sign that People Do Not Totally Regret Life

Some Other Sign that People Do Not Totally Regret Life

Sean Cole is a poet and he knows what you think of that. He is also a radio producer. One night, drunk and stumbling around the Hudson River with his friend Malissa O’Donnell, he discovered a monument...

25 Juli 201216min

Purple Reign

Purple Reign

What’s the difference between what the public sees and what an architect sees when they look at a building? The hotel on the very prominent corner of Touhy and Kilbourn Avenues in Lincolnwood, Illinoi...

13 Juli 201219min

Kickstarter Video for Season 3 of 99% Invisible

Kickstarter Video for Season 3 of 99% Invisible

This is the Kickstarter video for funding the new season of 99% Invisible. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it going, now is the time to go to our funding page and chip in a little. … Conti...

12 Juli 20122min

What Gave You That Idea

What Gave You That Idea

Starlee Kine’s friend Noel works in advertising. In 2003, Noel was working in at an agency in Richmond, VA. Everyone wanted to work on flashy spots like Apple or Nike or Gatorade. Do you know what was...

28 Juni 201214min

Frozen Music

Frozen Music

Goethe said, “Architecture is frozen music.” I like that. Of course that was before audio recording, so now, for the most part, music is frozen music. It’s only very recently in the history of music t...

14 Juni 201210min

The Best Beer in the World

The Best Beer in the World

If you’re a beer nerd, or have a friend who’s a beer nerd, you’ve heard of Belgian beers. Belgians take beer very seriously. Amongst the 200 Belgian breweries, there’s a very specific sub-type: Trappi...

31 Maj 201213min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
badfluence
varvet
rss-jossan-nina
rss-svart-marknad
rss-borsens-finest
avanzapodden
svd-tech-brief
uppgang-och-fall
rss-dagen-med-di
fill-or-kill
lastbilspodden
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
dynastin
24fragor
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
rss-den-nya-ekonomin
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
bathina-en-podcast
borsmorgon