CNBC'S '#TwitterRevolution' will premiere on Wednesday, Aug. 7

It's been called the pulse of the planet - home to Lady Gaga, LeBron, foreign revolutionaries, journalists, tech geeks and the Pope himself. CNBC tells the story behind the rise of Twitter, the social media giant whose 200 million active users have made it a fixture at home and around the world.

Some 400 million tweets fly through the air every day - snippets of sarcasm and snark, humor, headlines, corporate come-ons, thoughtful analysis and mindless drivel. In just seven years, Twitter has radically altered media, politics, activism, and advertising, and many predict the company will go public by next year. Twitter, once a novelty, is now the "New Big Thing."

CNBC correspondent Carl Quintanilla interviews Twitter founder Jack Dorsey about the company's inception, and reports on how law enforcement, journalists and concerned citizens exploited the online service during the Boston Marathon bombing investigation. The documentary explores the culture of gossip and rumor on Twitter that inflamed a scandal at a Connecticut high school, and goes behind the scenes with the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs to see how the NBA's front office, and its biggest stars, use Twitter to drive fan interest.

Quintanilla also profiles young dissidents using Twitter to protest oppressive regimes in the Middle East, and reports on how sending out the wrong tweet can land you in prison.

The CNBC original documentary, #TwitterRevolution, premieres on Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 10 p.m.