Could there really be an actual zombie apocalypse?

[Umbral Noir 1,556]

Well, although I don't think it is likely, I guess it could be possible for a scientist to cause a virus to create an apocalypse. Even if there was, I've learned everything I need to survive from Highschool of the Dead!

[Scootalove 10,689]

Well, it could be possible but it won't happen.

 

In this world, we have learned about hygiene, we have a very good military system for defending against any threat. Plus, it only happens in movies and video games there can't be a way that it could actually happen.

[IronPuddinG 249]

Surprisingly enough, something like this has already happened.  No, not with humans and not at a global scale, but it does exist.  A species of fungus named Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, can control the host's brain and lead it to an ideal place to kill it and release its spores.

From: 

And: http://www.popsci.com/science/gallery/2011-02/gallery-terrifying-real-life-zombies-walk-earth?image=1

These don't really offer much in terms of information, but when I saw the thread, I thought I'd bring it up.  Whether or not these things could mutate to be able to control Humans is unknown, but the prospect is not as obscure as one would think.

Edited April 24, 2013 by IronPuddinG

[Evilshy 5,090]

No.

I think it's not possible at all, by virus or something related like in games.

As far as I know, the only creature that "thinks" are humans. Virus, like animals (or plants), just find a way on how to survive, which is by feeding.

Even if a virus gets inside human brain, the brain won't operate. The organs too. If they're able to walk, it means that the brain and organs run normally like normal humans, which includes heart, lungs etc. And if the body runs like normal, they won't be those pain-immune creature. By these "theory" of mine, then they're just a slightly different human.

There are conditions in which humans wouldn't feel pain, so that part is still plausible.

 

There are certain prion diseases that can cause mindless aggression, but thought processes are still more or less left intact. You'd still (probably) feel pain, and you wouldn't constantly be trying to kill people, you'd just get super pissed and violent every now and then. Also, prion diseases have a high fatality rate, because they basically destroy your brain, and the symptoms (such as the mindless aggression) are a result of different parts of your brain being damaged, and most of them have symptoms other than the aforementioned mindless aggression. Also, prions are a type of infectious protein, so they can't be transmitted through air, water, or touch. Bodily fluid transfer is really the only way, so unless you're having sex with zombies, or you cut yourself and then rub it all over a similarly cut zombie, you're not going to be infected. It's possible that it could be transferred through a bite, if the zombie's mouth were bleeding profusely and it bit you hard enough to cause you to start bleeding profusely, but that's pretty unlikely.

 

As for causing cannibalism, I doubt it, as that would require either a drastic change in DNA (which is impossible, unless the zombies are all impossibly skilled genetic engineers and are messing with women's DNA shortly before they conceive), or for thought processes to be significantly altered, but left partially intact (which is also impossible, unless the zombies are all impossibly skilled psychologists with the ability brainwash someone into becoming a cannibal in ~10 seconds without talking).

 

Also, people seem to underestimate the CDC, military, police force, and civilians with guns. Not to mention all the people with baseball bats, crowbars, machetes, shovels, hammers, etc. Even if we assume that zombies are real, there would never be a large outbreak unless the apocalypse had already happened, and all of these organizations, people, and weapons were unavailable. You also have to remember what a zombie is: a human without access to technology, weapons, or even intelligence. Our intelligence is the only reason we're at the top of the food chain; we aren't particularly durable. We aren't fast, nor do we have a lot of endurance. We don't have fur to survive the cold, or camouflage patterns to hide. We don't have claws, huge teeth, or impressive strength to attack or defend with. We don't have good senses of smell, hearing, touch, taste, or even sight. If we weren't intelligent, we'd probably be extinct. Add to this that zombies move even more slowly than normal humans, and they wouldn't be hard to deal with at all.

[Gay Bird 421]

I think it could be possible. The e-coli virus infects rats and makes them try to get aggressive towards their natural predators, cats. If the e-coli virus had a similar effect on humans, then we could have some zombies on our hands.

[Stalliongrad 982]

If you know anything about the Middle Ages you know about the Black Plague. Plague has been around for ... ever and it has been proven people are still dying from it to this day. Now Plague kills but doesn't turn people into zombies. But it is no secret it is a very real thing that sickness can spread amongst a large group of people in a short amount of time. Swine Flu, Bird Flu, H1N1 etc. There are infections that exist which can eat through flesh. I had a staph infection at one point thankfully it cleared up.

 

The thing is Zombies, and whatever sickness or disease they carry create a list of somewhat specific ailments.

 

I think before we further dissect Zombies we need to differentiate between Zombies and Undead. Because I think the two are often confused. Anyone can be turned into a Zombie through contact usually a bite or scratch. Undead were already dead and have somehow reanimated back to life. Perhaps the Zombie disease has such capabilities to bring back the dead so that it can spread more. 

 

It is a common recurring theme that Zombies themselves are very weak. Even if Zombies were real 1 Zombie doesn't pose a threat. That raises the question "Well how do you kill them?" I think if Zombies were real shooting them indeed kills them but their corpse is still dangerous because a dead body carries tons of germs and what not.

 

Another thing is that Zombies seem to have no other purpose other than spreading whatever illness they carry by infecting other people who are not infected. Thus creating your stereotypical "Zombie Horde". Most major cities have at a minimum established a plan to quarantine individuals that spread this sort of infection. My guess is that if Zombies were real, the parasite or sickness that is the source of the infection cannot live for a very long time and thus has an effect on the body to spread. A sort of mind control if you will. If that were the case I would feel better because that means finding a cure wont be that hard. It will take time but it wont be that hard to figure out how to reverse its effects and eliminate it.

 

If someone with the medical know how had the capacity to actually engineer such a sickness it goes without saying they probably already have created a cure just to protect themselves. The reason why i don't think it would ever be a man made thing is because we as humans by nature are greedy. If you had the ability to control several minds all at once the last thing you would use those people for is spreading disease... There is nothing to gain from that. Although there are people who would do that anyway for their own reasons. (ethnic cleansing etc).

 

I think modern medicine would eventually be able to counter the Zombie apocalypse but we would need to work for a cure very quickly before it spreads so much that the infected people can no longer be contained.

[Michael DeSanta 258]

In realistic terms the closet things we would have to a zombie apocalypse is rage  from 28 days later or Trixie virus no not the great and powerful Trixie she couldn't infect a fly lol. Asto seeing actual zombies not happening.

[Rain Dance 131]

No, i don't think it would be able to create specificly a "Zombie Apocalypse" But some kind of serum that would change a humans personality permanently or maybe some kind of disease/virus.

[Urkelbot 63]

In terms of the traditional "zombie" a reanimated, mindless walking corpse, I don't think it would reach apocalyptic levels. The physical aspect isn't quite feasible. How long can a corpse last in the heat of the sun, with Carrion insects and birds picking at it relentlessly? How long could it support it's own weight?

 

I think a major concern would be the spread of airborne disease to the living from decaying corpses and unclean carrion animals.

 

I did read an interesting article on Cracked about how there could be a theoretical "Zombie" If a body was inundated with sentient nano-robots. 

[Golurk 468]

In the traditional sense of a re-animated corpse, zombies aren't feasible. Once a person is dead, their brain starts to die; since the brain is what controls everything else, everything else would be incapable of doing anything except rotting. However, if you want to take note of "reawakening the dead", the Lazarus Syndrome is worth noting. Basically, the condition is caused when a person is declared dead after failed CPR, but the pressure the CPR built up in their heart was enough to auto-resuscitate up to several hours after the declaration. This is about the closest thing to reanimating the dead as we can get, and even then, it's exceedingly rare. And even then, the person'll still be who they were; they won't shuffle around trying to kill people. So, nail in the coffin for traditional zombies.

 

However, it's much more possible under the assumption that the person is alive, but has lost motor control. There are several parasites that can cause changes in behavior in humans, so it's not unheard of for a parasite to have a noticeable effect on someone's mind. One specific one worth noting is the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, a fungus known to infect ants that "takes over" their brains, making them leave their colony and hang from leaves to either get eaten or killed by the fungus. This is odd behavior for ants. In fact, it's a complete change in the way they act, showing that such parasites can completely alter an organism's behavior. Granted, a human brain is several times more complex than an ant's, but it does show a theoretical possibility. All I can say is, whoever wants to make a parasite that can do that to people better have a lot of time on their hands.

 

But, even if it were to happen, it wouldn't be an apocalypse. Humans are superior to zombies in every single way. We'd just contain/kill anything infected, and W00T, problem solved. Heck, a hick with a shotgun would know what to do; we've got the entirety of the CDC on our side. I think we'd be good.

[Virulence 254]

I don't think so. If there could be... I would be so terrified for my life! But realistically, zombies are dead corpses with no brains. There couldn't possibly be one. *20 years in the future* Ahhhh Robot Zombies!!!

[Zygen 6,066]

I mean technically speaking zombies in the traditional sense are reanimated corpses a lot of times, and they would be do decayed they'd hardly be able to do much, not to mention how they'd be reanimated.

 

I think maybe people infected with some zombie like disease is possible, but I think that's about it, even then I don't know the likelyhood of that.

 

It would be some form of manmade disease I imagine if it did happen, not the movie zombies really.

[Dark Moon 965]

Short answer- No Zombies are not possible, well not true zombies anyway. Now take the idea of 28 days later, that is more realistic.

 

On surviving it., the Zombie apocalypse would be really easy to survive. It's called stockpile like shit the second you catch wind of it and find a flat roof or a boat that you could start a garden on, bingo your self-sustaining a little bit. On a boat you could also fish and would have no threat of being attacked, just set anchor about 50 meters or so from shore and get a small dingy to travel back and forth. 

[Lunas Husband 2,777]

Well as the saying go's "anything is possible" so why not.. I mean come on now Obama is president.. so anything is possible... opps did let that slip oh well... anyway, it could happen... but in this life time? ah I don't see it.. but then again I have been wrong before.