It's going to be a while before we actually start this project of ours, but in the meantime I thought I'd start putting up some sources and information for us to begin building our repertoire with. Since we'll be focusing on zombies here, I thought we'd start with a look at these disease-ridden, shambling corpses first. What better source to start with than the masters of all things disease, the CDC? That's right, the Center for Disease Control has actually designed an emergency plan in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse. Lets take a look, shall we?
http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/
So, here's their guide on what to do in case the undead just so happened to come a knockin'. As a long-time zombie survivor enthusiast, I can agree with the majority of their suggestions. One detail I would like to disprove, however, is that the CDC seems to believe zombies would have a preference for cranial matter over the rest of their victim's body parts. This is extremely unlikely. A zombie, as we all know, is essentially a reanimated corpse. In all seriousness, were zombies to ever come into existence, they would be just that- moving, moaning, chewing dead people. No supernatural powers, no tendrils a la Resident Evil, no projectile vomit attacks. Ergo, cracking open and scooping out a tasty morsel of grey matter would not be within a zombie's capabilities.
Test this sometime- take a brown coconut, wrap it with two layers of duct tape, stick it in a double layer of plastic bags, and try using your hands and teeth to crack open the coconut and get to the white inside. This is a pretty close approximation to what it would be like to reach the brains of an average human head. Zombies, due to only having the strength and musculature their bodies had in life, would have the same amount of success as you (possibly less, since their muscles wouldn't be regenerating from tearing due to being dead).
Now, would you, in a state of extreme hunger and lack of any but the most basic mental capacity, bother with such an endeavor when there's tons of perfectly good, mouthwatering meat within reach? No. You'd ignore the stuff in the bony vault of the skull and go for the juicy neck, meaty leg, or luscious entrails instead. Hence, a "real" zombie wouldn't actually have a preference for the brain.
Anyway, here's a source to consider in our future discussions, and a little detail we could discuss right now. What do you think? Is my analysis of a zombie's perspective on brains accurate? Why or why not? Leave a comment with your opinion and your support on this question or anything else you want to consider from the CDC's Apocalypse Plan!
--eibmoZach reyalScott
http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies/#/page/1
ReplyDeleteFor anyone interested, the CDC also made this (admittedly corny) comic book detailing what to do for a zombie outbreak. Check it out if you want, or if you prefer pretty pictures...of cartoonish green corpses groaning and pawing people.
--eibmoZach reyalScott
eibmoZach reyalScott,
ReplyDeleteI have never read or looked into the Zombie Apocalypse and so I find your post very interesting. I actually have no information or knowledge about Zombie’s at all. Although I don’t agree with the existence of Zombies, I found the CDC Zombie emergency plan very amusing and entertaining. I also think that your logic of Zombies attacking body parts rather than the brain is valid and convincing. The analogy of the coconut definitely helped me understand your point. I also don’t have very much information to argue otherwise. Thank you for the information! If I ever sense a Zombie apocalypse approaching, I will be sure to take the precautions issued from the CDC.
Hanna Morris-
DeleteI'm not surprised- few people in "normal" society ever stop to consider the concept of a zombie apocalypse. But then, most people didn't consider the aftereffects of a nuclear explosion, and look how that turned out... Can't be to careful or too prepared, you know.
I'm glad you enjoyed the CDC plan, and hope you think about incorporating some of their preparations. Also, thank you for your compliments regarding my points on zombie attack patterns. May they help you some day in the future. Remember- aim for the head!
If I may, I'd also like to add something to your potential actions when incorporating the CDC's plan (should you choose to take any such action). While the CDC obviously didn't want people to start hoarding guns and ammo, I WOULD strongly suggest to acquire at least a sidearm for home defense. Should a zombie ever (heaven forbid) get into your house, I doubt you'd want to test your mettle in hand to hand combat- your risk of infection would be extremely high.
A simple pistol or handgun, even a small caliber that is easier for a novice, inexperienced shooter, would be better than trying to use your brother's baseball bat on a zombie skull. And it's not just the undead you'd have to worry about...
In any situation in which mass pandemonium breaks out, there WILL be people who try to take advantage of the situation. I don't care how inherently good people may be- put them in a situation where their lives are in peril and everything's going to heck around them, and they will do something normally questionable- either in their own interest or for the sake of their loved ones. Theft, murder, pillaging, destruction- these things will happen, so you need to be prepared to defend yourself and your home. Sometimes I wonder if it's really the zombies that would kill most of us when they rise...
--eibmoZach reyalScott
This idea of the Zombie apocalypse is very intriguing and it makes me want to look more into it! I like how unique the ideas in the blog are. It's cool how you took an idea presented by the CDC, like zombies eating humans brains, and argued why that is an invalid point. Your argument is very clear and easy to understand! Although I am unsure of their existence, I agree that zombies would have no supernatural powers and therefore go for the "easier" meat on a human being. I really enjoyed this post. One thing to consider is what kind of disease do you think would cause something like a zombie apocalypse to happen? What area of the body would most be affected and cause an outbreak like this to happen? Just something to consider!
ReplyDeleteCami Agle-
DeleteThank you for your supportive complements, as well as your agreement with my anti-cerebrophilia (yes, that's made up) theory.
As to your question- perhaps the most popular "zombie disease" theory is that of the virus known as solanum. From the "Zombie Survival Guide"- "Solanum works by traveling through the bloodstream, from the initial point of entry to the brain. The virus uses the cells of the frontal lobe for replication, destroying them in the process. During this period, all bodily functions cease... Once mutation is complete, the new [brain] reanimates the body into a form that bears little resemblance (physiologically speaking) to the original corpse" (Brooks 2).
While the origin of this virus has yet to be found in nature, it is believed that solanum is 100% communicable and 100% fatal, but is neither water- nor air-borne. Infection only occurs from contact with an infected individual through the transfer of blood, saliva, or other bodily fluids into the bloodstream (think zombie bite).
Now, as to how the infection would most likely spread. Due to the relative ease of grabbing and drawing an arm or leg to the mouth and taking a chomp out of it, zombie bites to the extremities are likely the most common cause of the spread of infection. But this brings an age-old question into being- What came first, the bite or the zombie? No one knows, as the first-ever zombie infection has yet to occur... that we know of.
Hope this helps with your questions. Should you want to know anything else, don't hesitate to drop us another comment. We'd just LOVE to hear from you again... heh heh heh.
--eibmoZach reyalScott
This is such an interesting topic. I never thought I would read a research blog on zombies, but it definitely got me in the Halloween mood. I love the argument you are making here. It is interesting, convincing, and easy to understand. I love the comparison of trying to crack through a coconut wrapped in duct tape to a zombie trying to eat human brains. Not only was it humorous, but it helped me understand your argument more than anything else in the post. However, one thing that I wonder is, considering the points you made about why a zombie would not be able to eat a human brain, what other things would a zombie not be able to do? If a zombie had very little strength, and no ability to regenerate, how many other things would they not be able to do? Would this prevent them from existing in the first place?
ReplyDeleteMary Jane Leavitt-
DeleteThank you for your interest and support. If you really did enjoy my coconut analogy, give it a try! Perhaps for family home evening, you and your relatives/dorm-mates could each take turns trying to crack it. Have fun...
As to your question- I didn't say a zombie would have very little strength- only the strength of the person they were while alive. Consider a recent cadaver- the body still has the muscular structure it had while alive. The bacteria has only just begun the process of decomposition, so the body stays "fresh" for a while after.
So, think of the human corpse as the zombie's "tools." When they first start out, they have access to all the musculature and ability of the live human. However, as they use these tools they suffer wear and tear. We, too go through this process, however we regenerate our tools through our circulatory system. The zombie, being dead, doesn't have access to their bloodstream's precious nutrients and therefore can't "fix" themselves as they wear down. Ergo, the longer a zombie stays mobile the less its ability to move or attack.
Taking decomposition into account, as well as climate and environmental effects, the average zombie will only be able to move and function for a little less than a year (cold, dry climates extend this time, while wet, warm climates speed it up exponentially). The last few months will see the zombie as a husk, barely capable of giving chase or attacking. This doesn't mean it's harmless by any means- if you get close enough, even a dessicated "old" zombie will try to have a go at your flesh.
Taking all this into account, a zombie apocalypse would likely only last 5 years, give or take a year and depending on how quickly the infection spreads or how many zombies end up in freezing climates, preserving them longer.
Hope this helps address your concern. If you're still confused or have any other questions, we accept body parts such as fingers or toes as payment for 10 minute question sessions after the first free seminar (this reply counts as your freebie). Hey, we gotta feed the test subjects somehow.
Just kidding. As a member of our assigned readers, you get an infinite number of free sessions. Ask away!
--eibmoZach reyalScott
Assigned Blog Readers -- thank you for your great comments! Unfortunately, it would appear as though you have commented on the wrong post. EibmoZach ReyalScott's individual blog post can actually be found by going by following the side bar link to his page. Sorry -- We should have made it obvious where our individual posts were.
ReplyDelete