Forget swine flu - could we cope with a plague of the Undead? Scientists ponder the threat of a zombie attack

Zombie Apocalypse!

Lets all hope they are hilarious zombies such as those in Shaun of the Dead, not fast-moving terrors such as those in 28 days/weeks later.

I'll have my Cricket Bat Handy.

we can only hope! although those in 28 days /weeks later were 'infected' not really zombies, they are sh!t scary lol.
besides, scientists will eventually create the virus disease or whatever you want to call it.
and the government will release it..

and so it begins...

I hate Zombies that run..

YAY!! Zombie DOOM is back on the table...MY FAV!

x2

sorry, but this is SILLY.

[link to news.bbc.co.uk]

Science ponders 'zombie attack'

If zombies actually existed, an attack by them would lead to the collapse of civilisation unless dealt with quickly and aggressively.

That is the conclusion of a mathematical exercise carried out by researchers in Canada.

They say only frequent counter-attacks with increasing force would eradicate the fictional creatures.

The scientific paper is published in a book - Infectious Diseases Modelling Research Progress.

In books, films, video games and folklore, zombies are undead creatures, able to turn the living into other zombies with a bite.

But there is a serious side to the work.

In some respects, a zombie "plague" resembles a lethal, rapidly spreading infection. The researchers say the exercise could help scientists model the spread of unfamiliar diseases through human populations.

In their study, the researchers from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University (also in Ottawa) posed a question: If there was to be a battle between zombies and the living, who would win?

Professor Robert Smith? (the question mark is part of his surname and not a typographical mistake) and colleagues wrote: "We model a zombie attack using biological assumptions based on popular zombie movies.

"We introduce a basic model for zombie infection and illustrate the outcome with numerical solutions."

To give the living a fighting chance, the researchers chose "classic" slow-moving zombies as our opponents rather than the nimble, intelligent creatures portrayed in some recent films.

"While we are trying to be as broad as possible in modelling zombies - especially as there are many variables - we have decided not to consider these individuals," the researchers said.

Back for good?

Even so, their analysis revealed that a strategy of capturing or curing the zombies would only put off the inevitable.

In their scientific paper, the authors conclude that humanity's only hope is to "hit them [the undead] hard and hit them often".

They added: "It's imperative that zombies are dealt with quickly or else... we are all in a great deal of trouble."

According to the researchers, the key difference between the zombies and the spread of real infections is that "zombies can come back to life".

Professor Neil Ferguson, who is one of the UK government's chief advisers on controlling the spread of swine flu, said the study did have parallels with some infectious diseases.

"None of them actually cause large-scale death or disease, but certainly there are some fungal infections which are difficult to eradicate," said Professor Ferguson, from Imperial College London.

"There are some viral infections - simple diseases like chicken pox have survived in very small communities. If you get it when you are very young, the virus stays with you and can re-occur as shingles, triggering a new chicken pox epidemic."

Professor Smith? told BBC News: "When you try to model an unfamiliar disease, you try to find out what's happening, try to approximate it. You then refine it, go back and try again."

"We refined the model again and again to say... here's how you would tackle an unfamiliar disease."

Professor Ferguson went on to joke: "The paper considers something that many of us have worried about - particularly in our younger days - of what would be a feasible way of tackling an outbreak of a rapidly spreading zombie infection.

"My understanding of zombie biology is that if you manage to decapitate a zombie then it's dead forever. So perhaps they are being a little over-pessimistic when they conclude that zombies might take over a city in three or four days."

SILLY??? Why Zombie doom is the doomiest doom EVER... on the doom scale ZOMBIE DOOM is OFF THE CHARTS... It doesnt get any better than this!

I don't know what to think or not think about the seemingly comic notion of zombipocolipse. But something is me says, h1n1 vaccine.... Now I'm not contesting in any way that this is even remotely true.. it does, however seem possible. In that case I say BRING IT ON

It's all Michael Jacksons fault. damn that red leather jacket.

for the return of ZOMBIE DOOM!!!!!!

Scientists watch a little to much tv...

You all just do not get it.
The movies are trying to tell you something. So listen, We were all infected at birth. We are all zombies. The living/dead. With that in mind do your research. Ask yourself why/how did I become a zombie and then get your cure.

movies are based on reality, and what's possibly to come.
A zombie infection type disease is real. Anything is possible.
All it takes is for scientists to go that extra dstance. They are able to create all sorts of diseases/virus's.

Ok. I present my evidence that we are all the"zombie" Living/Dead.

1. Arrest warrants say on them "pick up the body" of _____
2. A Judge summons (ghost like) to court.
3 You appear (ghost like) in court.

Hehe... I'm from Ottawa and moving back there this weekend from having my summer in Alberta... I know some from Ottawa U :P (though I go to the other uni, Carleton University)

Ottawa U will be a half hour walk from where I live! I think this 'study' was done in good fun.

A zombie virus would realistically (yeah, zombie and realistic in same breathe) be created in the life extension area of research. Science would cure 'death' and create 'undead'.

At that point you're just a good permenant mind altering drug away from full blow zombies. This drug I see coming out of military research. A drug that permanently numbs the mind to moral/ethical dilemmas.

And there you go. Then just the ability to spread the zed virus and is WWZ!

my only questions to everybody is that ..if they cover up everything... could they ever covered this solano or zombi virus???as plutonio from facilityes this sombi sh.. can be free during a mega EQ..?
so lets say yes...???
i already read the max brooks book.. cames handy to the situation we r living in argentina..w the dif that this guys are very alive..
just in case im reforcing security in many aspects..
martin

:zed:

Just turn your lawn mowers into zombie-killer-machines overnight !