This is 99% invisible. I am Roman Mars.

Today's show is about a design flaw that might be, and I'm not exaggerating here,

the single most common design flaw in human history. It potentially affects everything we have ever

built. Its consequences are felt by more than half of people worldwide. And most people don't even notice it, but that's changing thanks in no small part to the work of one woman.

My name's Caroline Criado Perez. I am a writer and activist, who has written an incredible book.

My book is called Invisible Women Exposing Data Bias.

No, wait, sorry, that's the British title.

What the shit is the American title?

The copy I have is called Invisible Women. the Is this a non-sweary podcast?

Well, you can swear all you like.

We will probably bleep it.

Okay, I'll try to keep it to a minimum.

And honestly, Caroline Criado Perez has good reason to swear.

Because this design flaw, in addition to being everywhere, is really annoying.

But like so many of the worst design flaws, it can be hard to notice at first.

To demonstrate just how hard, Caroline started off by telling me a story that begins with a joke

about gender.

So basically basically in this town called Carl Skogut in Sweden,

they were doing a gender analysis of all their local town policies

and someone said well obviously snow clearing

won't have anything to do with gender and it does sound on the face of it

ridiculous how can snow clearing have anything to do with gender?

...