How to Survive a Zombie Attack
New Mathematical Formula for Surviving an Epidemic of the Undead
Aug 21, 2009
Based on a review of popular-culture zombies depicted in such films as George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978), scientists at the University of Ottawa have developed a mathematical model determining the biological factors that could lead to a zombie infestation and the likelihood of such an event. Unfortunately the numbers do not look good. According to their calculations, a civilization confronted with zombies is doomed.
Identifying a Zombie
While the scientists outline various cultural meanings of zombies, for the purpose of their research, a zombie is defined as "slow-moving, cannibalistic and undead". They are "mindless monsters who do not feel pain and who have an immense appetite for human flesh". This traditional definition functions to distinguish their zombies from the more intelligent, independent and fast-moving variety found in recent films such as 28 Days Later (2002).
Unlike vampires who may look normal and who suck the blood of their victims, zombies appear as rotting corpses who bite their victims for the purpose of consumption. Infection occurs when their saliva mixes with the victim's blood. After an attack, a victim is merely infected and may still die of natural causes. However, if they survive, an individual will become a zombie in as little as 24 hours.
Classes of Zombies
Their basic model divides zombies into three classes: susceptible (S), zombie (Z), and removed (R). Susceptibles are individuals who may die from natural causes or an encounter with a zombie; removed individuals may die of natural causes or a zombie attack but are resurrected as zombies. New zombies, therefore, arise when a susceptible loses an attack by a zombie (zombification) or is resurrected as a zombie after infection and death.
How to Survive a Zombie Encounter
The scientists explored the mathematical possibilities of avoiding infection. According to one formula, the transmission of zombism is less likely to be avoided than with other diseases. Every contact with a zombie will result in infection unless an individual can defeat the zombie by cutting off its head or destroying its brain. This requires extreme aggression and speed because zombies often travel in packs and because infection converts to zombification in a short span of time, quickly overwhelming the population.
In addition to calculating the feasibility of fighting off the undead, they developed a formula measuring the practicability of quarantining zombies. Since zombies” infect humans faster than humans can kill them”, success depends on quarantining individuals in the early states of infection. This presents a number of problems: first, infection is not necessarily obvious; second, the infrastructure required is not available, and third, zombies escape.
The final conclusion of the research is that “human-zombie coexistence is impossible”, therefore, an actual outbreak of zombies would lead to the collapse of civilization in a very short period of time. Quarantining infected individuals is unreliable because it is difficult to determine who is infected, and, they argue, even if a cure is found, treatment would not provide lasting immunity to infection; individuals would simply return to normal life and once again be susceptible to zombification.
According to the scientists, “the most effective way to contain the rise of the undead is to hit hard and hit often. As seen in the movies, it is imperative that zombies are dealt with quickly, or else we are all in a great deal of trouble”. Good to know.
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