I had a dream it was the zombie apocalypse last night. And a revelation...

HappyAardvark · November 2011

If/when the zombie apocalypse comes, the answer is simple - find a way to get refuge on an island that hasn't been infected with the zombie virus!! Zombies can't swim, right? Ugh I have got to stop watching reruns of Walking Dead episodes after it gets dark out.

McAllie5 · November 2011

GhostMonkey:

That's another difficult question to answer because we really don't know what type of muscle functions they'll have. Swimming requires a complex coordination of movements of major muscle groups which the zombie may or may not be capable of. Most likely, they would avoid the water.

This is true, but doesn't running take a lot of complex movement as well. I will agree that swimming is more difficult. It would depend, as you said, on what type of zombie we're working with here. If they're the slow walking-will-get-there-eventually-and-kill-you kind, then I would say no to the swimming aspect. But if they are the kind (as they all seem to be these days) that runs and hunts you down, then maybe swimming could be possible.

Also consider the quality of the tissue you're starting out with. If it was a sedentary person who was severely out of shape, then maybe they're not a good candidate to be a swimming zombie. But, if you happened to be a marathon runner, Olympian, or triathlete, then maybe you have a shot at being a swimming zombie.

Which brings another question to mind - how strong is muscle memory? Maybe zombies can only perform certain functions that were once part of their basic instincts. So the majority of them can run quite well. Well, by that same logic, if Michael Phelps were to become a zombie, his zombie self would possibly function better in the water.

GhostMonkey:
However, dead bodies in water do bloat and end up floating, sometimes for long distances. Also, dead corpses decay slower in water so the zombies would potentially have a time advantage in the water.

I have to bring up something else here: sea life. I'm really having trouble remembering here, but on land I would assume animals tend to avoid zombies? Maybe it's the general smell of death and decay. Some animals go for that, though. Well in the ocean, you can bet that bloated floating zombies would eventually be nibbled on by curious swimmers-by.

But yes, I'm sure some would eventually make it to people-inhabited lands, after circulating for a while.

GhostMonkey:
Your best bet if zombies do attack is not to isolate yourself on a boat where you could run out of supplies, be stranded, and eventually die anyway. You would be better off traveling to an island that has limited contact with any mainland continent. It's a safe bet that if zombies attacked North America or Europe, one-way plane tickets to Australia would be a hot commodity.

I agree, Australia is probably a safe bet. You could set up a secure fortress for the human race to hunker down and propagate. The only problem is, this continent is famous for having the deadliest animals. Still, better to die from a snake, scorpion, box jelly, or duckbilled platypus than a zombie.

It would make a great TV show, though.

Unwritten524 · November 2011

That's funny because I had a Zombie dream as well. But I just can't stop watching zombie shows. It's addicting.

HappyAardvark · November 2011

Michael Phelps as a zombie swimmer? ::dead:: (::undead?::). And I've always wanted to go to Australia.

Unwritten524 · November 2011

McAllie5:
GhostMonkey:

That's another difficult question to answer because we really don't know what type of muscle functions they'll have. Swimming requires a complex coordination of movements of major muscle groups which the zombie may or may not be capable of. Most likely, they would avoid the water.

This is true, but doesn't running take a lot of complex movement as well. I will agree that swimming is more difficult. It would depend, as you said, on what type of zombie we're working with here. If they're the slow walking-will-get-there-eventually-and-kill-you kind, then I would say no to the swimming aspect. But if they are the kind (as they all seem to be these days) that runs and hunts you down, then maybe swimming could be possible.
Also consider the quality of the tissue you're starting out with. If it was a sedentary person who was severely out of shape, then maybe they're not a good candidate to be a swimming zombie. But, if you happened to be a marathon runner, Olympian, or triathlete, then maybe you have a shot at being a swimming zombie.
Which brings another question to mind - how strong is muscle memory? Maybe zombies can only perform certain functions that were once part of their basic instincts. So the majority of them can run quite well. Well, by that same logic, if Michael Phelps were to become a zombie, his zombie self would possibly function better in the water.

GhostMonkey:
However, dead bodies in water do bloat and end up floating, sometimes for long distances. Also, dead corpses decay slower in water so the zombies would potentially have a time advantage in the water.

I have to bring up something else here: sea life. I'm really having trouble remembering here, but on land I would assume animals tend to avoid zombies? Maybe it's the general smell of death and decay. Some animals go for that, though. Well in the ocean, you can bet that bloated floating zombies would eventually be nibbled on by curious swimmers-by.
But yes, I'm sure some would eventually make it to people-inhabited lands, after circulating for a while.

GhostMonkey:
Your best bet if zombies do attack is not to isolate yourself on a boat where you could run out of supplies, be stranded, and eventually die anyway. You would be better off traveling to an island that has limited contact with any mainland continent. It's a safe bet that if zombies attacked North America or Europe, one-way plane tickets to Australia would be a hot commodity.

I agree, Australia is probably a safe bet. You could set up a secure fortress for the human race to hunker down and propagate. The only problem is, this continent is famous for having the deadliest animals. Still, better to die from a snake, scorpion, box jelly, or duckbilled platypus than a zombie.
It would make a great TV show, though.

Oh and I Love all of this. You think like me. One thought after the next lol.

All of this makes sense. Except salt water (and sun) is pretty erosive. It may erode the zombies before they get to you, even if the sharks don't get them.

I would probably go to a smaller island than Australia because Australia is populated. I would want to go somewhere where I can pretty much know everyone, so if it comes down to it, We can get rid of the zombies fast. Does that make sense?

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I had a dream it was the zombie apocalypse last night. And a revelation...

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