| bobwilson
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| 673866. Sun Feb 21, 2010 10:40 pm |
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| So - are we all agreed? The threat of imminent zombification of the entire world is greatly overstated? |
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| Alfred E Neuman
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| 673902. Mon Feb 22, 2010 1:09 am |
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| Looking around, I think it may have already happened, but no-one noticed. |
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| Lukecash
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| 673907. Mon Feb 22, 2010 1:27 am |
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No, I do not agree that imminent zombieification of the entire world is not overstated.
In fact, I believe that it is the plans of the zombie to lull us into a false sense of security! |
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| Moosh
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| 673951. Mon Feb 22, 2010 5:43 am |
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| Player5 wrote: | @ Moosh
I agree with everything you have said, a single zombie certainly could not walk half way around the world (at least not with any significantly non zero probability) but I was just trying to establish a lower bound for the time required to cover the world. It's better to consider one zombie as the source of the outbreak who heads off in a random direction and infects someone else who infects someone else etc. The whole thing snowballs and you get what would probably look like brownian motion because as you say no zombie would be motivated by trying to reach a particular destination, just by searching for the nearest uninfected people. Out of all the millions and millions of paths that the different zombies took sooner or later one of them would get to the other side of the world. So think of it more like a relay race where it might be the hundredth zombie on this particular route who is the one who finally makes it to Alan.
If we assume that zombies are not magic (if they are then the whole discussion is pointless because we could justify any answer by appealing to magic) then they are constrained by the physical laws of our universe, ie it costs energy to move. If zombies cannot take on further nutrition then they will eventually burn themselves out. In that case there would almost inevitably be some communities that remained unaffected because they were sufficiently isolated/lucky. A better thing to consider would be the expected time to infect say 95% of the population. |
I still think that certain terrain, deserts, some mountain ranges, large stretches of ocean, would be effective barriers to zombies regardless of how many of them there were. If, for example, the outbreak started in the Americas, assuming the entire continent was immediately cut off from all air and sea travel, and that zombies couldn't operate vehicles, I think the outbreak would be contained, as I don't believe that zombies could walk across the Atlantic or the Pacific, or survive long enough in the Arctic to get out. |
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| sandman2000k
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| 673962. Mon Feb 22, 2010 6:25 am |
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zombies would be affected by cold
they have no body heat so would feeze solid
The numbers also do not take into account of people running away as Jack points out.
For reference on zombie survival there are books available Z war is good. I am suprised it did not get a mention.
always remember to fill your bathtub and destroy your stairs |
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| Celebaelin
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| 674025. Mon Feb 22, 2010 8:43 am |
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| sandman2000k wrote: | zombies would be affected by cold
they have no body heat so would feeze solid |
If you say so...
But I'd be inclined to say it would depend what the animating force was and how much heat they would generate simply by moving. Fast-moving zombies might be able to keep going if they were moving fast enough. Loss of extremities and pain from frostbite wouldn't be an issue if most accounts are to be believed (I Am Legend would seem to be an exception, but this works on the assumption that it is a disease so that's a new game as it were) and should the animating force be a demonic spirit or some such it might be temporarily immobilised but would start moving again should there be a thaw. It depends why the zombies become zombies and how that affects their behaviour. |
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| sandman2000k
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| 674027. Mon Feb 22, 2010 8:53 am |
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Which i am legend
the book was vampires
omega man the film was virus infected humans as i am legend the film is too
but the idea of herd zombies is a thought, is friction enought to stop you from freezing?
i read too much zombie stuff |
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| Celebaelin
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| 674032. Mon Feb 22, 2010 9:11 am |
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The film obviously, I've heard the book is much better but the idea of the 'hero' actually being the bad guy didn't sit well with Hollywood. Shame really.
Zombie penguins! Or possibly penguin zombies! Milling around to prevent themselves from freezing while crossing the frozen wastes! You may be onto something, start writing the script... |
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| sandman2000k
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| 674034. Mon Feb 22, 2010 9:14 am |
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oooh
zombie penguins
i like that
how do they tranfer infection though
hmmm
do you think Morgan Freeman would od a voice over for it? |
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| Celebaelin
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| 674036. Mon Feb 22, 2010 9:27 am |
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| Quote: | | how do they tranfer infection though |
By vomiting zombie-infection carrying semi-digested fish into the mouths of their victims of course.
Well Morgan Freeman has been known to do the odd voice-over. We should check the whole idea isn't the basis of a new Terry Pratchett book though (a new, slightly darker, direction for him). |
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| sandman2000k
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| 674041. Mon Feb 22, 2010 9:34 am |
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do we get hero penguins with chainsaws and shotguns
i now think i have been staring at the screen for far to long |
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| Celebaelin
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| 674047. Mon Feb 22, 2010 9:45 am |
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Evil Dead IV - The Hiveral Dead?
Now I come to think of it it does have something of Lords and Ladies about it. Could we make them penguin zombie elves? |
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| sandman2000k
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| 674050. Mon Feb 22, 2010 9:55 am |
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penguin zombie elves
i bet there not even in the dungeon and drangons source books
heh heh heh
youve thought of something gary gygax missed |
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| Celebaelin
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| 674053. Mon Feb 22, 2010 10:09 am |
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| Bizarrely not the result of a random encounter generator. |
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| sandman2000k
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| 674055. Mon Feb 22, 2010 10:16 am |
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| i dont think elf and safety will let me put pointy ears on the penguins |
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