Systems Failure
Organisational collapse, catastrophic infrastructure breakdown, or process disintegration. We examine cases where complex systems fail spectacularly, where safety mechanisms break down, and where institutional structures crumble under pressure or design flaws.
The Keeper’s Gamble – Systemic Failure in the Lighthouse Service
Three keepers broke their service's cardinal rule and left their lighthouse unmanned. The official report blamed a freak wave, but this investigation explores a different cause. A system in which the fear of a fine for lost equipment proved deadly.
The Space Dentist Papers – Did the Six-Week Experiment Ever Happen?
A 2011 paper claimed to study ten men in simulated microgravity for six weeks, but its data was identical to an earlier, shorter study. This investigation follows the evidence trail through phantom laboratories, false affiliations, and a scientific record left uncorrected.
The Occupancy Paradox – An Audit of UK Asylum Hotel ‘Exits’ vs Invoices
Ministers announced thousands moved out of hotels in early 2025. The record for 1 January to 30 June shows hotel headcount barely shifted while bills stayed high under capacity deals. We test the figures against contracts, invoices and dates.
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.
The Compromised Witness – Re-evaluating the Yuba County Five
A single, shifting account steered the Yuba County Five narrative. This piece tests that testimony against the physical record, explains the official handling errors, and sets out what documents and tests are still needed.
The Antikythera Paradigm – The Ghost of a Lost World
Found in a Roman-era shipwreck, the Antikythera Mechanism is a machine that shouldn't exist. It contains gearing technology that wouldn't be seen again for 1,400 years. We investigate the lost world that built it.
The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic – How a Medical Crisis Became a Joke
The story of the Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic is a well-known curiosity: a joke that caused an entire region to laugh for months. But the only medical report from 1962 tells a different story, one of weeping, fear, and panic.
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.