Zombie survival

[Rosbjerg]

Depends on the nature of the zombies.. if they are simply infected (virus, drugs etc) normal "rules" would apply.. with 1-2 weeks they would definitely be dead if deprived of both water and food.

 

If they are indeed undead, as in re-animated flesh - well, only time would tell.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Can zombies eat plant brains, though?

 

THat would extend the length of the zombie apocalypse quite a lot. I say we burn all vegetation on the planet before heading to the bunker.

[Walsingham]

We know that zombies die if you destroy their brains. Perhaps the 'eating' of brains is simply a stratagem for reducing competition for some other resource, or merely another expression of their urge to kill. If it is another ersource or activity they are trying to hoard then its nature could explain a great deal about the phenomenon.

[UnknownRegions]

Zombie capitalism is always the best way to go. Maybe they like the taste of brains more than any other body part. Ear tacos.

If zombies did take over the world, i wonder if they would have a "Zombie Food Network". Zombies randomly coming out the ground isn't a problem. Zombies as a result of a virus or some scientific experiment gone bad would be a BIG problem. For all you non-Americans know we could have already developed such a virus. Then again...Switzerland has a black hole generator.

We were the first to make the atom bomb. Who knows what crazy **** we'll come up with next! Although... the way both our economy and elections are going... we'll be screwed in a couple years (if not by the end of this year).

[Rosbjerg]

Which is a good fundation for a zombie uprising.

[Gorth]

Zombie capitalism is always the best way to go. Maybe they like the taste of brains more than any other body part. Ear tacos.

No no no no!... completely wrong. Zombie Communism is the way to go. Brains should be shared. The ZCP is always recruiting

[jaguars4ever]

So what do sexually active zombies do if they're necrophilia conscientious?

[Walsingham]

So what do sexually active zombies do if they're necrophilia conscientious?

 

Oy vey.

[Amentep]

House is moderately defensible , I'd think. Stock of storage goods is okay for one person, not so okay if it goes over that. Lack of major distance weapons hurts a bit, but I tend to think actively attacking zombies outside of "must fight or die" situations to be just asking for trouble.

 

If the zombie apocalypse comes while I'm at work, I imagine that I'm dead meat. Lots of people, lots of glass doors, few really defensible locations.

 

Actually this raises a question I've discussed in real life, is it better to have a place with one exit so that exit can be fortified for defense, or more than one exit so that escape possibilities raise although the building becomes more vulnerable to penetration?

 

Also:

 

 

and

 

[Calax]

I've always wondered how Zombies seem to be able to operate doors and get into the WEIRDEST places. I mean the humies have a nice little hidey hole picked out but they find that about halfway through their alloted survival time a zombie is able to practically parachute into their hole and drive them out into the wild where they will be eaten faster than you can say "lollypop?"

[Walsingham]

THE NATURE OF THE THREAT, PART 1

THE VIRUS

 

After spending many minutes looking into it today, I have decided that the nature of the zombies is viral infection.

 

Specifically I tried to square a few symptoms of the phenomenon as a whole:

 

1. Small but pronounced survival rate

2. Widespread nature of the infection (suggesting prolonged infectious incubatino)

3. Victim perambulation, confusion and hostility, combined with apparent dimability of the senses.

4. Decomposition of the subjects combined with apparent muscle vigour

 

I believe that all three symptoms can be accounted for by a hybrid of the rabies and smallpox viruses.

 

Rabies of course is transmitted in blood and saliva, and results predominantly in a fear of water and aggressive tendencies. These aggressive tendencies often fluctuate between lethargy and mania, again matching teh behavioural profile.

 

Smallpox is transmitted through infectious matter, shed from infected flesh. In most common forms of the virus this occurs by tissue leaving the infected lesions which are the most distinctive form of the disease. These lesions are vesicles containing dead tissue, rather than pus. Most typically they are white/translucent, and quite pronounced. They occur all throughout the body in small blood vessels, as in the skin, cornea, and throat. Victims have been known to be driven crazy by the pain, and to stumble around in the middle stages of infection.

 

The concept of hybrid viruses is perfectly straightforward, and a mapping of these two matches many of the known features of infection. It does not directly answer the apparent decomposition of the subjects. This may be a result of a change in the way the body or the virus forms the infectious sites which normally result in surface vesicles. Such variation is known to exist, with known exampels being subsurface haemorrhage and suppressed lesions. If we assume that the zombie virus does not form vesicles in the traditional sense, because the body is unable to contain it, then an advanced subsurface haemorrhage would over time quickly give the appearance of dead flesh.

 

Thoughts?

[Gfted1]

Eh, just throw some ebola in there and voila, rotting flesh.

[theslug]

There's a large problem I see with "traditional" zombie infections and that's the crippled ability to cross geographic and quarantined boundaries to provide the ultimate zombie apocalypse. To me it seems like the infection would have to have some sort of "hibernation" period in which it doesn't show symptoms for weeks or even months but all the while it continues to spread so that quarantines are unable to discern who is infected and who is not, and even if they were able to quarantine it would certainly be too late since it would just have to reach a few people at an airport and then you have hundreds of thousands of people over the course of a few months who are infecting all their cities and states as well as different continents. It would also help that the infection could be released airborn but then it's kind of unfair becuase virtually everyone would get infected eventually and that just aint no fun becuase I want to weild a shotgun and machete and not be a zombie. :'(

[Amentep]

Maybe you could be a shotgun and machete wielding zombie?

[Morgoth]

Today while playing Resident Evil I learned that zombies are apparently very vulnerable to electro shocks. So, a Taser could come in handy. Just sayin'

[Walsingham]

theslug is right about the 'need' for a prolonged infectious period without symptoms. Smallpox has this feature.

 

I don't see a taser being particularly useful. If my theory is correct you're talking about the surface flesh being mostly dead tissue. I don't know how conductive that would be.

 

Gfted1, I understand that splicing two viruses is pretty straightforward. Splicing three would be bloody difficult. Also, acquiring rabies and smallpox (or at least one of the family of smallpox type diseases) would be straightforward. Haemorraghic fevers are not.

[theslug]

I believe a taser would sufficiently immobilize a zombie but for how long I do not know. I believe the mechanics work to simply stun the body and then it's sort of a psychological effect becuase it hurts like bloody hell so prisoners and what not stop struggling. At least from what I've seen from the odd prison show that's how it works. A zombie on the other hand is simply blinded by rage and has his senses of pain deadened like the darkness of my soul so it would be quite ineffective unless you shocked him numerous times which I suppose could "fatigue" his muscles or something to that effect. Either way, even if it's a 1v1 zombie fight there are just way too many ways that are much more affective, like my idea to rig up a spear. Plunge it into the zombies chest and you can keep him at bay while he struggles and the blade tears up his insides until he bleeds to death. Simple yet probably extremely effective and moderately safe if you lack a firearm.

[Gorth]

What you need is a limitless supply of maggots. They eat dead/necrotic flesh

[Trenitay]

Wait, zombies can't bleed.

[Walsingham]

I think Sluggo's right about a spear. A boar spear would be ideal. A strong haft which is planted in the ground for support, and the other end has a crosssbar to prevent a boar/zombie from sliding down the haft towards you. Once teh zombie is impaled, a colleague can dash forward and safely remove zed's head.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Dead Space has taught me that headless zombies only fight harder.

[Blank]

Dead Space destroyed my dreams of becoming an astronaut.

[Walsingham]

But... freeze-dried icecream!

[Walsingham]

last night I finished watching Dead Set, the channel 4 zombie series which centres on a mixture of big borther contestants and regular types.

 

1. Special effects very good.

2. Setting makes the whole thing quite believable, particularly the characters and actions of the people.

3. Most importantly, lots of sensible pointers on zombie survival. Like how to kill one using only kitchen implements and a duvet.

 

I'd really rate this in the top three zombie films ever.

[Calax]

I have learned several things about surviving a zombie apocalypse from left 4 dead.

 

1) don't make much noise, zombies are attracted to it

2)make sure you stick with friends because most of the other people who join up with you suck and often split up from the group

3)if you're headed for safety, screw the people behind you (every safehouse you enter in Left 4 dead, when you load the next area the door back the other way is blocked with furniture)

4)when a zombie makes a noise other than the standard "urrrrr" run like hell

5)when the apocalypse hits, alot of people will randomly leave well made pipebombs around.