This podcast explores new evidence and foundational assumptions concerning public behaviour during perceived hostile threats, such as marauding terrorist attacks (MTAs) and crowd flight incidents resulting from false alarms.

We challenge the widespread misconception of "mass panic" and "mindless stampedes," which often fail to account for observable actions in real emergencies and historical events like the 1943 Bethnal Green tube shelter disaster. Instead, evidence consistently points to collective resilience, where significant numbers of people cooperate, support each other, and interact socially within the incident itself. This cooperation often stems from an emergent shared social identity, forged by the experience of common fate.

We investigate why false alarm flight incidents occur so frequently in crowded spaces like transport hubs and shopping centres. These events, such as the high-profile Oxford Street false alarm in 2017, are rarely sudden or impulsive. They are often triggered by a combination of factors: the context of recent genuine terrorist attacks providing a framing for threat perception, and the urgent behaviour or communications of other people (a process known as social appraisal). Even during an urgent flight, observed public behaviour is diverse, including hiding, seeking/sharing information, walking away, and supportive actions.

Furthermore, we analyse the complex actions of "zero responders"—members of the public who spontaneously intervene against visible attackers. Analysis of the 2015 Leytonstone tube station knife attack reveals a sophisticated, spontaneous coordination where individuals adopt complementary roles such as defending, communicating, and providing first aid.

The research provides crucial recommendations for policymakers and practitioners to facilitate cooperative behaviour. This includes embedding the psychology of public behaviour in training, prioritising informative and actionable crisis communication over simple emotional reassurances, and building long-term trust with the public. We also discuss how providing resources like first aid kits in transport infrastructure can enable members of the public to act more effectively as zero responders.