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5 Scientific Reasons a Zombie Apocalypse Could Actually Happen

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#3.
The Real Rage Virus

As seen in ...
28 Days Later

What is it?
In the movie, it was a virus that turned human beings into mindless killing machines. In real life, we have a series of brain disorders that do the same thing. They were never contagious, of course. Then, Mad Cow Disease came along. It attacks the cow's spinal cord and brain, turning it into a stumbling, mindless attack cow.

And, when humans eat the meat ...

How it can result in zombies:
When Mad Cow gets in humans, they call it Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Check out the symptoms:

  • Changes in gait (walking)
  • Hallucinations
  • Lack of coordination (for example, stumbling and falling)
  • Muscle twitching
  • Myoclonic jerks or seizures
  • Rapidly developing delirium or dementia

Sure, the disease is rare (though maybe not as rare as we think) and the afflicted aren't known to chase after people in murderous mobs. Yet.

But, it proves widespread brain infections of the Rage variety are just a matter of waiting for the right disease to come along.

Chances this could cause a zombie apocalypse:
If the whole sudden, mindless violence idea seems far-fetched, remember that you are just one brain chemical (serotonin) away from turning into a mindless killing machine (they've tested it by putting rats in Deathmatch-style cages and watching them turn on each other). All it would take is a disease that destroys the brain's ability to absorb that one chemical and suddenly it's a real-world 28 Days Later.

So, imagine such an evolved disease, which we'll call Super Mad Cow (or, Madder Cow) getting a foothold through the food supply. Say this disease spreads through blood-on-blood contact, or saliva-on-blood contact. Now you have a Rage-type virus that can be transmitted with a bite.

Just like the movie. With one bite, you're suddenly the worst kind of zombie:

A fast zombie.



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3491 Comments

If you really believe that a "zombie" outbreak is impossible, you are truly being naive, you know, the same kind of naive that makes the Christian's believe in the rapture. I mean, come on, cannibalism is something that still exists in certain undeveloped tribes, or if your plane crashes in the middle of no fucking where. If you take away the one thing that makes us "human", its all about survival of the fittest. If you are unable to fight for your life, you are fucked. And that is my little rant, thank you.

Posted on 8/28/2008 11:37:23 AM

$50 says he's among the first to die. :D

Posted on 8/28/2008 8:51:01 AM

hey when zombies take over ill be cracking up bc im preperd i have been 4 a long time its gonna happin but nobody beleaves it so when u r all zombie food and im safe and warm and ALIVE

Posted on 8/17/2008 9:10:02 PM

"The nanobots will be programmed to self-replicate, and the death of the host will mean the end of the nanobots. To preserve themselves, they'd need to transfer to a new host. Therefore, the last act of the nanobot zombie would be to bite a hole in a healthy victim, letting the nanobots steam in and set up camp in the new host."

Of course, just because they're self-replicating doesn't mean they have the awareness required for self-preservation. No self-preservation instinct, no bitey-bitey to spread themselves.

Posted on 8/15/2008 6:26:20 PM

"A notable feature of such disease is the inability of the infected animal to stand. Source: APHIS" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Cow_Disease

Kinda speaks against "stumbling, mindless attack cow", don'cha think?

Posted on 8/15/2008 6:19:15 PM

seriously i loved this one..specially when everybody here is kind off freaking out!! it made me laugh harder!!

Posted on 8/15/2008 6:17:32 AM

Tahayaro, you have to turn on 'Thriller" for them to dance.

Posted on 8/10/2008 4:18:06 PM

The ability of nanotechnology is so over-exagerated.

Posted on 8/6/2008 7:59:17 AM

hahahahaha-----tahayaro, your post made me laugh.

Posted on 8/4/2008 12:25:59 PM

I think that this could happen, and when it does im oing to the mall,wallmart or samsclub. I think it would be cool if this happend:)

Posted on 8/3/2008 6:37:45 PM

Zombie killer.... that's an awesome job.

Posted on 8/3/2008 4:49:22 PM

And the 1 best dating site for tall singles,"" Tallchat.c om "".Many celebrities and professional athlete placed their profiles there,seeking love,romance,even erotic sex!!!!!!!!

Posted on 8/3/2008 8:11:23 AM

Don't worry, there is a way to avoid Zombies. U have to turn on the music loud enough, the song call "Beat it" by Michael Jackson and the Zombies will dance and dance, they love it ..ha ha ha

Posted on 8/2/2008 10:32:42 AM

ok, well now that i know all of this wonderful information, i'm just gonna go and rip my fmaily to shreds before i'm tortured to death by tiny little robots.

Posted on 8/1/2008 1:21:57 PM

I'm already prepared for the zombie out break, i read the zombie survival guide. Yes All that time that my friends and family said i wasted setting up a fallout shelter in case of a zombie outbreak will one day be used! Yay!

Posted on 8/1/2008 9:22:21 AM

fucking PISSED cow disease

Posted on 7/31/2008 10:25:48 PM

There actually is a form of mad cow disease that affects members of certain tribes in Papua New Guinea who cannibalize their dead. Its called KURU. http://www.as.ua.edu/ant/bindon/ant570/Papers/McGrath/McGrath.htm

Posted on 7/31/2008 1:11:49 AM

#3? Extreme? NO, Cracked, Mad Cow/CJD/vCJD is the most Holy Shit, potential for a "zombie" outbreak. It didn't even mention the prions (modified protiens) which cause the diseases EAT the hosts BRAINS!!! Follow the URL for the scientific paper that will open your eyes and wet your pants - http://www.iamanangelchaser.com/writings/fiction_science/the_case_for_prions.pdf

Posted on 7/30/2008 12:39:39 PM

The fundamental flaw with all zombie movies / theories is that the zombies will only attack the "non-infected" people. If the zombies are truly mindless attacking killing machines it stands to reason that they would kill each other off in short order and leave the people who bunker down quite safe in their locked homes.

Posted on 7/30/2008 10:48:34 AM

oh... because the army's going to give you a weapon... thats rich, and you dont have a katana, you have a cheap remake that will break fast as fuck and leave you defenseless after maybe a few kills, if you're even able to manage those... and an arena? sure... if there arent already thousands of people, infected or not, in there, fighting or ready to kill you...

Posted on 7/30/2008 10:09:35 AM

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