Science Ponders Zombie Attack

[Wolfdust]

I always wondered about that.

I can kind of understand your typical, shuffling, moaning, non-intelligent zombie going specifically for a beating heart with warm flesh and blood. But how would they distinguish that? And how would they stop from decomposing?

Your typical shambler zombie is undead and the who's, how's and why's of that are not explained, just a inexplicable phenomena that the audience is as unaware of as the characters themselves. I like it, it works. I mean, werewolf and vampire movies never really felt the need to explicitly outline where their monsters come from and how the function beyond "how do I kill this mofo", why should zombie flicks?

As for the 28weeks later version, why didn't they just set upon each other in an orgy of violence? I cringed multiple times in the second movie (in which I hoped the military would be portrayed well) and pointed out various problems of which would never have happened*, or would easily have been remedied.

Pheromones, maybe. Smelled the infected blood and all that.

Also totally agree with you on 28 Weeks Later's handling of the military. That was dumb.

The only times they looked smart was with the gassing, bombing and flamethrowing.

 

[IS-234]

no smells don't do it as some of them won't have a nose for some reason or another it probably has something to do with how the virus functions

 

[Kogitsune]

As much as the nerd in me wants an apocalypse under certain conditions, I too see how infeasible it is.

The only problem with using ranged / mounted weaponry, is that if the creature survives so long as the brain is intact ( or reasonably so? ), the gunners will still have to eventually do a cleanup even if it only means torching the entire kill zone with flamethrowers or any other means of burning the **** out of something.

If you don't clean up after your messes, you're just asking for some journalist trying to get the story being bit and rushed back to a hospital and then it starts again.

That's seriously where the main threat is - that it only takes one to start it over. You get someone who is in the process of turning or has recently turned but not yet risen near other people and before they can scream, at least a single person has been bit.

An asylum? Hospital waiting rooms? The incubators ( for lack of better words ) of infants? All the various rooms with people in them? So many soft targets if you just come from a physical / mental health approach.

Preventative maintenance, people, is the key to stopping this sort of thing from happening.

One thing that I feel is an interesting, related thought.

We're primed for this. Most, if not all, people in America who have saw a couple movies in the last three years or have quick access to google know what a zombie is, under several different types of them as well, what they are generally weak to and some basic survival techniques related to them. Seriously, how many people do you know that have no clue what a zombie is? It's almost as if everyone is being silently prepared for them in the event that it actually happens, however unlikely it is.

With that in mind, would a zombie threat actually be a threat when the population can identify what they are and the threat they possess?

 

[JustFilth]

YouTube - What To Do In A Zombie Attack


lolz

Filthy

 

[IS-234]

stupid canadian commies

 

[Wolfdust]

As much as the nerd in me wants an apocalypse under certain conditions, I too see how infeasible it is.

The only problem with using ranged / mounted weaponry, is that if the creature survives so long as the brain is intact ( or reasonably so? ), the gunners will still have to eventually do a cleanup even if it only means torching the entire kill zone with flamethrowers or any other means of burning the **** out of something.

Which is easy. The USA is not especially lacking in firebomb. Or just petrol in general.

Or you put the petrol in a bunch of tanks and mush the corpses just in case. That works too, with far less burnt-corpse-stench.

If you don't clean up after your messes, you're just asking for some journalist trying to get the story being bit and rushed back to a hospital and then it starts again.

That's seriously where the main threat is - that it only takes one to start it over. You get someone who is in the process of turning or has recently turned but not yet risen near other people and before they can scream, at least a single person has been bit.

The difference is that the first infection works by virtue of "Lol, we dunno what it is"

The moment someone shows up with a bite wound it will be assumed to be either:
A) Rabies
B) Zombism

Given the recent outbreak of B, and the general infrequency of A, as well as the human bite pattern, he will likely be quartined ASAP.

With guards. Lots and lots of guards. With guns. Big ones.

We're primed for this. Most, if not all, people in America who have saw a couple movies in the last three years or have quick access to google know what a zombie is, under several different types of them as well, what they are generally weak to and some basic survival techniques related to them. Seriously, how many people do you know that have no clue what a zombie is? It's almost as if everyone is being silently prepared for them in the event that it actually happens, however unlikely it is.

With that in mind, would a zombie threat actually be a threat when the population can identify what they are and the threat they possess?

Add to this the fact that how armed America is and zombies are just plain ****ed.

Of course, one would have to look out for the crazy survivalist types. And, if 80's tropes hold true, you'd have to watch for the Obligatory Biker Bandit Gang.

 

[Kogitsune]

The point I was making is that the entire genre isn't about killing zombies - it's about surviving. Ideally, you shouldn't have to kill or even see one - that's the safest possible manner to deal with the "crisis."

However, it's generally an inevitable loss for the humans, especially in Hollywood. You might have a few survivors, but humanity itself has lost.

Eventually, someone somewhere is going to screw up and that is precisely where the undead "win" once more by simply being opportunists.

You're entirely right, though - this is the information age and we have enough armaments and technology to one-up anything aside from a doomsday scenario where two thirds of the world wakes up undead one day.

What I consider to be the original zombie movie as we see zombie movies is the first Night of the Living Dead. And there were a sizable amount of them there ( class 2? ). However, a line of people with rifles ( police sharpshooters at the most ) messed their **** up and there was nothing the undead could do about it.

It's hardly a stretch of the imagination to believe that a branch of the armed services or a single state's National Guard could easy handle something a great deal larger than that.

Now those biker gangs, on the other hand...

 

[Krieg Jaeger]

One would think that if military agencies were aware of some sort of chemical, organism, or process through which zombies would be created, they would already have established a task force specifically equipped to deal with such an instance.

 

[gusone]

There's lots of talk of .50 cal guns, tanks, mini guns on choppers however no mention of resources - which are finite. Ask any General. If large parts of the country were overrun those resources would be lost for good. Fuel, ammunition, food etc. Whilst a heavy gun can make light work of your average teeth gnashing zombie the sheer numbers will eventually win - guns eventually run out of ammo. Soldiers can only carry so much ammo. At some point the military would have to retreat because ammo runs out and supplies cannot get to the frontline quick enough. The same goes for fuel. I suspect the military would make great gains in the early stage of the conflict but eventually the sheer weight of the determined zombie numbers and lack of resources will force the human race into a permanent retreat. Leaving the zombie head crushing tanks behind. Witness the final six months of WW2 and the Nazis lack of fuel. Once the horde begin to overrun industry slowly and surely the ability to create / process new resource will be lost. Eventually the scales will tip and we'll all end up in Antartica wondering if the guy next to us is one of those 'things'.

 

[Bio666]

There's lots of talk of .50 cal guns, tanks, mini guns on choppers however no mention of resources - which are finite. Ask any General. If large parts of the country were overrun those resources would be lost for good. Fuel, ammunition, food etc. Whilst a heavy gun can make light work of your average teeth gnashing zombie the sheer numbers will eventually win - guns eventually run out of ammo. Soldiers can only carry so much ammo. At some point the military would have to retreat because ammo runs out and supplies cannot get to the frontline quick enough. The same goes for fuel. I suspect the military would make great gains in the early stage of the conflict but eventually the sheer weight of the determined zombie numbers and lack of resources will force the human race into a permanent retreat. Leaving the zombie head crushing tanks behind. Witness the final six months of WW2 and the Nazis lack of fuel. Once the horde begin to overrun industry slowly and surely the ability to create / process new resource will be lost. Eventually the scales will tip and we'll all end up in Antartica wondering if the guy next to us is one of those 'things'.

Let me tell you something. First, If properly treated, there wont be the sheer numbers.Out break in a lab, even in a city, state can be contaminated. Build up high wall, with sentry posts in a few days is possible with current technology. Once isolated, we just simple enjoy shooting those basters from afar, and waiting for them to starved to dead. There wont be that sheer number.
Secondly, great gains in the early stage. That's just enough to win any war. If my memory serve well, rush is the most effective strategy in any strategy game, and if properly apply, could win vitually any strategy game. If, say, tomorrow, the US decide to atk any small third world country, it could be done within days, or weeks. Heavy air strike to crucial positions, continuously bombing/artillery strike and small groups of troop do search-and-destroy follow-up. Capture is very easy. Holding is the problem, plus there's no point going around shoot at everyone in sight. But things will be different if it's zombie we have to kill. No need to hold, and no need to sign peace treaty.
And lastly, Once the horde begin to overrun. Oh, such a beautiful stage. If I'm correct, which I pretty sure am, the further Germany went inside Russian, the harder they got hit. And not just because of weather. Spreading troop on large area is an undeniable disadvantage. Once they over run us, we just simple isolate outself with high wall and sentry posts inside some city/state. And then, we'll just enjoy shooting those basters from afar, while survive a self-sustain life, eating everying grow inside the safe-zone. Using satelite as episonage advantage, small elite group with looting mission will be sent to where there are fewest zombie every few weeks/months. After all, those basters will starved to dead. Oh, and if we're out of ammunition, I'm pretty sure scientists will come up with some new weapon using electricity from sun ray, like electrified wire/laser/ tesla-sort.

 

[gusone]

Once they over run us, we just simple isolate outself with high wall and sentry posts inside some city/state. And then, we'll just enjoy shooting those basters from afar, while survive a self-sustain life, eating everying grow inside the safe-zone. Using satelite as episonage advantage, small elite group with looting mission will be sent to where there are fewest zombie every few weeks/months. After all, those basters will starved to dead. Oh, and if we're out of ammunition, I'm pretty sure scientists will come up with some new weapon using electricity from sun ray, like electrified wire/laser/ tesla-sort.[/COLOR]

Ammunition depletes and would need to mine new resource and process it. You will not be able to do that behind a wall. Also the waves of dead bodies will create a wall long natural siege weapon that allows the zombies to climb up and over the wall at all points. Humans cannot shoot 24/7 forever trying to hold back the horde. Imagine a life where every awake moment is spent killing zombies. It's not sustainable in a siege. How many sieges have been a success? Overrun is enivitable.

 

[Wolfdust]

There's lots of talk of .50 cal guns, tanks, mini guns on choppers however no mention of resources - which are finite. Ask any General. If large parts of the country were overrun those resources would be lost for good. Fuel, ammunition, food etc. Whilst a heavy gun can make light work of your average teeth gnashing zombie the sheer numbers will eventually win - guns eventually run out of ammo. Soldiers can only carry so much ammo. At some point the military would have to retreat because ammo runs out and supplies cannot get to the frontline quick enough. The same goes for fuel. I suspect the military would make great gains in the early stage of the conflict but eventually the sheer weight of the determined zombie numbers and lack of resources will force the human race into a permanent retreat. Leaving the zombie head crushing tanks behind. Witness the final six months of WW2 and the Nazis lack of fuel. Once the horde begin to overrun industry slowly and surely the ability to create / process new resource will be lost. Eventually the scales will tip and we'll all end up in Antartica wondering if the guy next to us is one of those 'things'.

1. We've been pointing out that the zombies would be anhilated before the outbreak even got very large. Seriously. People and the Government are not as stupid as Zed flicks portray them. Anyone who seems to be part of some group of mindless undead killing machine horde would be either killed or captured for study and then probably killed to be sure.

2. We have ammo. And gas. Lots of it. The military has tons of ammo, both for killing other armies and purely for training their dudes how to kill other dudes. And most of the ammunition in combat is spent filling the air with lead to keep the other guy's head down rather than actually hitting the other guy. Zombies, unlike enemy soldiers, do not hide. They do not duck. They do not return fire. There is no "supressing fire" to be used against them - all fire against a zombie would either be to kill or wound.

A soldier in a Zombie War would, in fact, have a higher ratio of Kills-To-Ammo-Used than any soldier of any war ever. Period.

3. It's called a bomb. See a big horde? You drop a bomb on them. There's a reason no one bunches up and rushes (like a zombie horde would) anymore. It's because your guys will alternate between being cut in half by scything machine gun fire and getting the hell blown out of them with bombs.

 

[Krieg Jaeger]

There's probably at least 400 rounds for each man, woman, and child on earth. A lack of ammunition in the terms of a nation, is not going to be a problem.
As everyone has said, a "massive outbreak" would never likely occur, as most people are intelligent enough to go "Hrm...something smells like a rotting, decaying, fecal matter covered corpse, and it's moaning and shuffling around....Yeah...not going to investigate that." As opposed to your average zombie movie fellow who happens to relish the prospect of venturing into the unknown, even if it smells like a charnel house, there's a trail of blood, and the area is completely dark and unfamiliar.

Most people are also intelligent enough to defend themselves, or find someone who can. Or find a proper place to hide, not to mention the Inexplicable knowledge of zombies and their limitations. Considering people have being bombarded with horrible zombie movies for decades, virtually anyone in any nation that has the capability of watching movies, will know what a zombie is, and how to avoid them. Say, climbing up something or on top of a building.

Another, often overlooked fact, is that if zombies are in a constant state of decay, their eyes will be the first to go, soon followed by their intestines, and muscles. Forget trying to grab and hold a adrenaline filled human being, just moving or keeping your limbs intact with rotting muscles is a near impossibility.

 

[Jmb301530]

Zombie Outbreak

Zombie Outbreak

OK let's say that a huge outbreak appeared, and we were somehow low on ammo, there's still a few things that can seriously hurt zombies that don't require ammo. Like for instance, concertina wire emplacemets, would rip the decomposing enemy apart, until they covered it...and considering that a platoon of soldiers can put up 1 Km of concertina wire per hour, you could put up ALOT of zombie deterrent there...add a wide, deep trench to that, and soon you'd have alot of zombies with no fingers. Also there is the caltrop, which may not kill the zombie, but it would inflict pain and cause bleeding. Also there is electric wire, which is fairly easy to put up...and even if you said that all the major sources of electricity were gone, you could take the surviving civilians and hook up bikes to generators to generate electricity. and I mean, if worst came to worst, a baseball bat with some nails through it can suffice as a nice anti-zombie weapon. Or a katana.