Credit: Reveal

Post Script is an original video series from The Center for Investigative Reporting that unravels how some of mankind’s brightest ideas wound up taking an abrupt turn from their original design. Each bite-sized episode combines nuanced reporting with visually experimental short-form storytelling.

The Secret History of American Surveillance

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When Edward Snowden revealed that the U.S. government was running massive spying operations on its own people, the country was shocked. But few remember that the origins of America’s modern surveillance apparatus began more than 115 years ago, half a world away in the Philippines.

The Buzz(kill) about Caffeine

falling-powder

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Caffeine is arguably the most popular drug in America. But what do you really know about it? This short video explains how the beloved stimulant became the key ingredient in top-selling soft drinks and how those drinks came to be blended with foreign-made synthetic caffeine. It also examines the regulatory mess surrounding this potentially lethal drug in the U.S.

Man-made earthquakes: Fact or fiction?

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Earthquakes in Oklahoma used to be something of a rarity, but a few years ago, that began to change. Starting in 2009, the number of quakes began to increase. By 2014, the state was experiencing three times as many quakes as California.

Credits

Series Creator and Producer: Ariane Wu

Sound Mixer: Christopher Galipo

Post Script theme music composer: Jason Kick

Executive Producer: Amanda Pike

Editorial Director: Robert Salladay

Creative Commons License

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Ariane Wu is Series Producer, Multimedia for The Center for Investigative Reporting. She is passionate about discovering new ways of telling stories visually and through sound. She was previously a Fulbright scholar based in Beijing, as well as a new media fellow at the Asia Society. Ariane holds bachelor’s degrees in film studies and political science from UC Berkeley.