Case Articles

The Thing: A Hollow Piece of Wood Passed from Moscow

In 1945, Soviet Pioneers gifted a wooden carving to the US Ambassador. Inside was a battery-free bug that intercepted secrets for 7 years.

+ Case # History # United States # Soviet Union

Jun 29, 2026

Photo of the Four Pests Campaign for sparrow eradication

Four Pests Campaign: An Inconvenient Sparrow

In 1958, a state mandate to slaughter hundreds of millions of sparrows triggered a quiet ecological collapse. This is the anatomy of a massive human attempt to control the biosphere.

+ Case # History # China

Jun 24, 2026