Before outlining our proposed strategies for surviving the zombie apocalypse, we first need to discuss zombie physiology: what physical and mental constraints and capabilities they have, what assumptions we can make about their nature, how they perceive their surroundings, and, most importantly, what can kill them. In this discussion, we will rely heavily on the material in the Zombie Survival Assumptions and Constraints handout for this project.
Starting at the top of the handout, we know that zombies “do not require food, water, or air,” and they “do not feel pain, fear, or empathy.” These two statements combine together to form an important conclusion: zombies will be indomitable assailants that lack many of the weaknesses that the surviving …show more content…
They “move at a top speed of 2 miles per hour,” which is incredibly slow compared to the average jogging pace, which, according to William McCoy, is between 5 and 6 miles per hour (livestrong.com). Zombies also “decompose over an average of 10 years, which can vary based on environment (slower in cold/dry, faster in hot/wet).” This means that if the Columbia survivors can hold out for 10 years, and we can effectively prevent the spread of the virus, we can assume the apocalypse to be over 10 years after it starts. Therefore, two pillars of our society will be self-sufficiency and prevention of the spread of the zombie …show more content…
According to our handout, the virus “is incurable, untreatable, and there is no current vaccine.” This presents a moral dilemma to the survivors: how will we deal with survivors who become infected? We suggest that, to err on the side of safety, individuals who are suspected to be infected be quarantined and placed under close watch. The virus “incubates over a period of 24 hours, causing immense fever, pain, and convulsions, before killing the host.” This knowledge provides a convenient window of no less than 24 hours that a suspected individual must be isolated and kept under watch before it is safe to assume that he/she is not infected. In the event that the individual exhibits all of these symptoms, and is reasonably assumed to be infected, he/she should be notified of his/her condition and given the choice of humane execution (taking care to destroy the brain stem) or being allowed to wait out the infection until he/she ultimately expires. Whomever is on guard must insure that the brain stem is destroyed IMMEDIATELY upon the infected individual’s
Starting at the top of the handout, we know that zombies “do not require food, water, or air,” and they “do not feel pain, fear, or empathy.” These two statements combine together to form an important conclusion: zombies will be indomitable assailants that lack many of the weaknesses that the surviving …show more content…
They “move at a top speed of 2 miles per hour,” which is incredibly slow compared to the average jogging pace, which, according to William McCoy, is between 5 and 6 miles per hour (livestrong.com). Zombies also “decompose over an average of 10 years, which can vary based on environment (slower in cold/dry, faster in hot/wet).” This means that if the Columbia survivors can hold out for 10 years, and we can effectively prevent the spread of the virus, we can assume the apocalypse to be over 10 years after it starts. Therefore, two pillars of our society will be self-sufficiency and prevention of the spread of the zombie …show more content…
According to our handout, the virus “is incurable, untreatable, and there is no current vaccine.” This presents a moral dilemma to the survivors: how will we deal with survivors who become infected? We suggest that, to err on the side of safety, individuals who are suspected to be infected be quarantined and placed under close watch. The virus “incubates over a period of 24 hours, causing immense fever, pain, and convulsions, before killing the host.” This knowledge provides a convenient window of no less than 24 hours that a suspected individual must be isolated and kept under watch before it is safe to assume that he/she is not infected. In the event that the individual exhibits all of these symptoms, and is reasonably assumed to be infected, he/she should be notified of his/her condition and given the choice of humane execution (taking care to destroy the brain stem) or being allowed to wait out the infection until he/she ultimately expires. Whomever is on guard must insure that the brain stem is destroyed IMMEDIATELY upon the infected individual’s