How Long Would the Zombie Apocalypse Really Last?

[MawlinRogue]

If you’ve spent any time watching movies, reading news stories about bath salts, enjoying AMC original programming, or farting around on Facebook, you’ve encountered the question about whether a zombie apocalypse could actually happen.

The Answer: Only a few months

Obviously, the main ingredient needed for a zombie apocalypse is zombies. However, the problem with zombies is they’re dead. Many films and television shows would have you believe that there would be an unending supply of dead bodies on the move during the zombie apocalypse because every dead person would start stumbling around on the search for human flesh. However, one of the things that make zombies so terrifying would be their undoing.

They rot.

Dead bodies follow a predictable pattern of decay, featuring five different stages: fresh, bloat, active decay, advanced decay, and dry/skeletal. During the fresh stage, rigor mortis sets in and body fluids begin to pool. Within hours of death, the body starts to turn on itself, with the bacteria in the digestive tract beginning to literally digest the body from the inside out. Chemical waste creates an acidic environment as putrefaction begins, often within 36 hours. Many zombies seen in movies are in the “fresh” stage, characterized with skin lesions and minor discoloration.

However, within hours or days (depending on the environment), the bloat stage would begin, featuring gaseous buildup and massive discoloration. By this time, the eggs laid by flies in the open orifices would hatch, causing the body to erupt in maggots, which feed on the dead flesh. By the time the body reaches the active and advanced decay stage, it would be falling apart. The remaining skin would drop away from the bone, and the internal organs and other soft tissues (including the brain itself) would have liquefied, leaving very little zombie.

The final stage of dry/skeletal could remain for years in the on, but there would be no muscles, tendons, or ligaments left to hold the bones together, much less give them mobility.

Of course, this is assuming there are no outbreaks in a largely populated area.

You’d better aim for the head, just in case.

 

[C_R]

The real question is how long are people going to keep prattling on about this nonsense?

Shit's getting old.

 

[MawlinRogue]

prolly till it actually happens

 

[barcelona]

Never got into this whole Zombie shit of the past few years. It's all bollocks.

 

[MawlinRogue]

Bath salt's just the start

 

[Wayne Kerr]

because zombies are real. fagbook and tv/theatre say its so.

 

[zombiegirl]

for the fun of it, probably will last a year or two (?)

 

[Ed_Gein]

Zombies are just the craze right now. It will die out(no pun intended) eventually.

 

[Loosihfur]

The saddest part of all are the trendy fucking kids that choose to zombify themselves by even paying attention to this nonesense

 

[Psycho Lady]

I dont know the answer u seek but fucking zombie's would make for some good target practice.

 

[MawlinRogue]

The saddest part of all are the trendy fucking kids that choose to zombify themselves by even paying attention to this nonesense

dont hate, appreciate

 

[keymon231]

They rot.

Dead bodies follow a predictable pattern of decay, featuring five different stages: fresh, bloat, active decay, advanced decay, and dry/skeletal. During the fresh stage, rigor mortis sets in and body fluids begin to pool. Within hours of death, the body starts to turn on itself, with the bacteria in the digestive tract beginning to literally digest the body from the inside out. Chemical waste creates an acidic environment as putrefaction begins, often within 36 hours. Many zombies seen in movies are in the “fresh” stage, characterized with skin lesions and minor discoloration.

However, within hours or days (depending on the environment), the bloat stage would begin, featuring gaseous buildup and massive discoloration. By this time, the eggs laid by flies in the open orifices would hatch, causing the body to erupt in maggots, which feed on the dead flesh. By the time the body reaches the active and advanced decay stage, it would be falling apart. The remaining skin would drop away from the bone, and the internal organs and other soft tissues (including the brain itself) would have liquefied, leaving very little zombie.

You forgot 1 thing, they feed. That means they have physiology functions running maybe only the basic but that makes your whole theory fail. Because even if they do rot, the process would not follow the decay stage and pattern of a normal corpse. They might be there way longer or even forever till the food supply ran out.

 

[keymon231]

The saddest part of all are the trendy fucking kids that choose to zombify themselves by even paying attention to this nonesense

Some people have no imagination. How sad.

 

[MawlinRogue]

You forgot 1 thing, they feed. That means they have physiology functions running maybe only the basic but that makes your whole theory fail. Because even if they do rot, the process would not follow the decay stage and pattern of a normal corpse. They might be there way longer or even forever till the food supply ran out.

A "zombie" is just a corpse that acts or responds in a mechanical way i.e.brain dead. They may feed as a result of an innate nature but it is not a requisite for sustenance. It will be foolhardy to think that such is the case as dead organs cannot harvest themselves.

 

[keymon231]

A "zombie" is just a corpse that acts or responds in a mechanical way i.e.brain dead. They may feed as a result of an innate nature but it is not a requisite for sustenance. It will be foolhardy to think that such is the case as dead organs cannot harvest themselves.

Dead brain doesn't animate the body, zombies aren't brain dead mechanical creatures, there is a reason why the fastest way to kill one is to smash it's brain. Zombies see and distinguish human from their fellow zombies, they move and react in partially controlled movement. These abilities can only come from a working brain and nerve system. To keep the brain and nerve system working, a basic physiology process must be in order. So, zombies do not rot in the same way a normal corpse that doesn't have any physiology function left.

If zombie apocalypse could happen in our real life, I can tell you that it would not be the same as what we've seen in the movies. The real zombies would be almost fully functional living organism, only without emotion and very least intelligent that falls way under smart mammals. Rabid dogs in human form to describe.

 

[MawlinRogue]

The hypothesis is a 'what if' based on our knowledge and understanding of the human anatomy and physiology in a 'real world situation'. Given that our understanding of epidemiology is still diminutive, there are no certain facts (yet).
Don't dwell in the false hope that the virus which led to resurgence in the infected's central nervous system and possibly brain, will invariably reanimate the dead cells reversing slash prolonging the process of decomposition (absent any genetic intervention - mutation of the cells and shit!).

 

[keymon231]

The hypothesis is a 'what if' based on our knowledge and understanding of the human anatomy and physiology in a 'real world situation'. Given that our understanding of epidemiology is still diminutive, there are no certain facts (yet).
Don't dwell in the false hope that the virus which led to resurgence in the infected's central nervous system and possibly brain, will invariably reanimate the dead cells reversing slash prolonging the process of decomposition (absent any genetic intervention - mutation of the cells and shit!).

Are we not discussing a scenario of zombie apocalypse in real world? If it takes place in our real world, then some basic rules for a silicon base organism must apply like physics, biology etc. Yes we don't have proven facts on this matter but I think empirical and logical should be sufficient. Resurgence of nervous system is not possible in normal case, because human nerve cell or as known as neuron has no ability of regeneration. But zombies are result from DNA mutation caused by a virus, so in this specific case, it might be possible. Since many body functions stay active for a certain time after death, given a fact ( movies base fact ) that zombie transformation only takes several minutes to complete after death, regeneration is not an issue.

Movies zombie is a myth, as I said if there were real zombies, they would be like human rabid dogs, with a working heart and lungs to circulate blood O2 to the brain and nervous system or the entire nervous and muscle system would simply die off within hours and render them unable to move, nor to twitch. Zombies move don't they? This physiology function will greatly inhibit decaying process or may even stop it from occur. So base on these facts, your theory does not seem legit.

 

[MawlinRogue]

Are we not discussing a scenario of zombie apocalypse in real world? If it takes place in our real world, then some basic rules for a silicon base organism must apply like physics, biology etc. Yes we don't have proven facts on this matter but I think empirical and logical should be sufficient. Resurgence of nervous system is not possible in normal case, because human nerve cell or as known as neuron has no ability of regeneration. But zombies are result from DNA mutation caused by a virus, so in this specific case, it might be possible. Since many body functions stay active for a certain time after death, given a fact ( movies base fact ) that zombie transformation only takes several minutes to complete after death, regeneration is not an issue.

Movies zombie is a myth, as I said if there were real zombies, they would be like human rabid dogs, with a working heart and lungs to circulate blood O2 to the brain and nervous system or the entire nervous and muscle system would simply die off within hours and render them unable to move, nor to twitch. Zombies move don't they? This physiology function will greatly inhibit decaying process or may even stop it from occur. So base on these facts, your theory does not seem legit.

With due respect, your argument is baseless - it relies heavily on "maybes" and movie-based facts fiction. I agree with you on some points like the rabid symptoms however, as things stand, rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The R virus will unequivocally be the origin which later underwent massive mutation to transform into the Z virus. The 'how' is not as important as the 'why' - survival of the fittest (natural selection); weeding out the weakest link; mass extinction of humans brought forth by nature for equilibrium and so on and so forth.

You yourself admit Z as portrayed in the movies are a myth. How far and to what extent an infected's physiology and biological structure will change is yet uncertain and up for debate but assuming that death is inevitable and post-death cycle slash decomposition stages remain unchanged, the dead shall rise but only for so long.

 

[keymon231]

With due respect, your argument is baseless - it relies heavily on "maybes" and movie-based facts fiction. I agree with you on some points like the rabid symptoms however, as things stand, rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The R virus will unequivocally be the origin which later underwent massive mutation to transform into the Z virus. The 'how' is not as important as the 'why' - survival of the fittest (natural selection); weeding out the weakest link; mass extinction of humans brought forth by nature for equilibrium and so on and so forth.

You yourself admit Z as portrayed in the movies are a myth. How far and to what extent an infected's physiology and biological structure will change is yet uncertain and up for debate but assuming that death is inevitable and post-death cycle slash decomposition stages remain unchanged, the dead shall rise but only for so long.

Very simple question, what do you think that gave zombies ability to move and react ?

 

[OneLoudMustang88]

There have been ZOMBIES in FRANCE since the year 2010.......