Students are recruited as members of a multidisciplinary emergency research task force after rumours spread that a contagious disease has contaminated the city's drinking water. Social media is flooded with contradictory information, local authorities are under pressure, and the mayor has only one hour to decide whether to declare a public health emergency. The team must investigate the available evidence, identify trustworthy information, collaborate to interpret conflicting data, and produce an evidence-based recommendation before misinformation causes unnecessary panic. Although the narrative is fictional, it mirrors real situations where research informs public decision-making.
