System Breakdowns
When everything falls apart at once. We explore catastrophic failures in human systems, organisations, and social structures, investigating how complex networks collapse, why safety mechanisms fail, and what triggers cascade failures across interconnected systems.
When the System Breaks – The Yuba County Five Investigation
In 1978, five men vanished in rural California. A stalled search, split jurisdictions, and a missed tip meant one may have lived for weeks. This is how the system failed to hold the case together.
The Orphan Object – The Gold Waltham Watch of the Yuba County Five
On 4 June 1978, a gold Waltham watch was found beside Ted Weiher. Families said it was not theirs. No serial, no forensics, no chain of custody. Our inquiry shows how omissions turned a possible lead into an inert symbol.
Which Law is the Ministry Breaking? The MoD’s Impossible Position on Animal Deaths
In 2023, the Ministry of Defence detailed every military animal death. For 2024, after a public incident, they refused, claiming it was too expensive. But UK law requires them to keep accessible records. The MoD is either being dishonest about the cost or breaking the law.
How the EU’s Animal Welfare Laws Became Optional
The EU's landmark animal welfare laws look impressive, but the reality is a systemic failure. This investigation reveals how a slow, toothless enforcement process allows member states to find it cheaper to break the law than to follow it.
The Bennington Triangle – When Missing Records Create Missing People
The legend of the Bennington Triangle was not born from paranormal events, but from something far more mundane - institutional failure. Our investigation reveals how five unsolved disappearances were shaped by botched investigations, missing records, and a myth created 40 years later.