Imp Emissary said:
Zombies may "happen" but I don't see them starting the end of the world. Unless they're magic/bullshit Zombies, but in that case there's magic/bullshit, so were already doomed.
This is an excellent point. Im a biologist so I've done some research into this and have a few theories about how a zombie outbreak MIGHT work, and if it did whats the closest we can get to the movies.
Rabies is by far my favorite contender for a zombie virus. It has some gigantic flaws that totally negate its ability to spread like a zombie virus but its got a few of the key components in place.
1. Spreads via saliva.
2. Can cause irrational aggressive behavior.
3. Uses animals and humans as a medium.
4. Untreatable (almost) once symptoms occur.
5. Rabies can incubate for extreme lengths of time secretly, up to years in fact.
6. Targets the nervous system
However the reason rabies ISNT the zombie virus is:
1. Being irrational to the point of fear of water coupled with massive dehydration makes you less able to attack someone in a coordinated way.
2. Being violently unwell and feeling like total shit inhibits your ability to attack a person.
3. Once symptoms show death is usually pretty damn swift. A "zombie" has a 2-10 day lifespan once symptoms show.
4. Only in extreme cases does primary brain function fail utterly. Youre not mindlessly aggressive. Youre just delusional.
5. Most violent outbursts will be undirected. Its more akin to spasms. And having uncontroled spasms makes you even less dangerous to people unless they are actively trying to treat or hug you. Not to mention the mania is coupled with periods of lethargy where youre no threat at all to anyone.
6. If caught in the incubation period treatment is fairly straightforward.
7. We have vaccines for the damn thing.
8. A rabid person will probably be as likely to attack another rabid person as they will you.
9. Such a long incubation means treatment/execution for infected is going to be extremely easy.
Rabies is the closest you can get to a zombie outbreak. And it fails in at least 9 ways to being anything like a zombie outbreak. Bites are also just a very shitty transference method. Any zombie virus would need to go airborne to even pose a threat. Or waterborne.
Theres also a catch 22 in the psychology of a zombie. To show the rage and mindless aggression almost ALL social parts of the brain need to die. But now you cant act as a pack or identify friend from foe since these are coupled together. The zombies, with no way to coordinate or identify another zombie from a human and distinguish aggression from non aggression, would just devour eachother like the guy i posted said. Theres like a million biological barriers between zombies and reality im afraid :C