The Buddy System Run AMOK!
From What The If? by Philip Shane, Matt Stanley, Gabrielle Paniccia
February 27, 2026 · 43 min
About this episode
This episode explores a world where humans move in synchronized pods like fish, examining the implications of such behavior and the science behind it.
What the if humans moved in schools — not classrooms, but like fish? Inspired by Carl Zimmer's New York Times article on how misinformation spreads among schooling fish, this episode explores a world where you can't go anywhere without your tightly synchronized pod. From navigating modern city life to figuring out what spooks a school of humans in the first place, things get weird fast. And the real science behind why fish school — and what happens when one of them panics for no reason — might just change how you think about your own posse. Based on "For Real, A Natural History of Misinformation" by Carl Zimmer, published in The New York Times on Dec. 9, 2025. Read the full article for free with this gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/science/evolution-fish-misinformation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PVA.RPcb.12w09kjCOLlu&smid=url-share —— When she's not studying zombie fungus at Harvard or helping us break the universe every week, our very own Gaby Paniccia writes science fiction. Her short story "The Automatic Grocery Store" is now featured on the popular podcast Escape Pod! Listen here: https://escapepod.org/2026/02/19/escape-pod-1033-the-automatic-grocery-store/ ——…
People in this episode
Hosts: Philip Shane, Matt Stanley, Gabrielle Paniccia
Topics covered
- human behavior
- schooling
- misinformation
- synchronization
- social dynamics
- science fiction
Keywords
- human schools
- fish schooling
- misinformation
- social behavior
- synchronization
- urban navigation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The New York Times, Escape Pod
Books & works: For Real, A Natural History of Misinformation, The Automatic Grocery Store
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