Zombie Expiry

KingLoser

Inspired by the various silly ideas that passed through my mind in the Toilet thread.

Do Zombies expire?

As in, if you were stupid enough to keep one alive, and cage it. Would it eventually.... fizzle out? Y'know?

Never thought about it before.

Doctor DooM

Yes. The biochemical reactions which heal us stop in a Zombie. They rot away, eventually to nothing.

KingLoser

Interesting...

Perhaps we could use this knowledge to develop some biochemical weapons to use on Z-day?

*applies for Zombie Forum Mad Scientist position*

Roen

According to Brooks guide they last three to five years before losing structural integrity.
Something to with with the virus that causes getting the zombie freak on in the first place killing all the other bacteria that would normally rot us in a matter of months.

KingLoser

So by releasing this bacteria into the air on Z-day, it could potentially destroy hordes upon hordes of zombies while doing minimal, if any, damage to society's "zombies"?

6th

It would depend on what they were doing, general wear and tear as it were. I mean if its bare foot and walking on gravel all the time that will take its toll on the feet.

KingLoser

I could capture multiple subjects for that purpose alone!

One control zombie would stand perfectly still until decay takes over, and another can be lead around in circles until same effect.

Doctor DooM

6th wrote: »

It would depend on what they were doing, general wear and tear as it were. I mean if its bare foot and walking on gravel all the time that will take its toll on the feet.

Actually it would be very hard to give an "expiry date" on zombies for the very reason you mention- wear and tear doesn't slow them down a way it would a human, they keep coming after loss of legs etc. They are only really gone after the brains destroyed/there is no musculature left to move the zombie any further/ they discorporate because of lack of bodily integrity.

Doctor DooM

KingLoser wrote: »

I could capture multiple subjects for that purpose alone!

One control zombie would stand perfectly still until decay takes over, and another can be lead around in circles until same effect.

Stick one in salt water and one in normal water too.

Treat one with domestos and see if one of the germs it kills dead is the zombie virus.

KingLoser

SDooM wrote: »

Stick one in salt water and one in normal water too.

Treat one with domestos and see if one of the germs it kills dead is the zombie virus.

I like it!

Also, we can see if indefenite detainment would cause them to become hostile toward each other!

Which would be ++.

Doctor DooM

KingLoser wrote: »

I like it!

Also, we can see if indefenite detainment would cause them to become hostile toward each other!

Which would be ++.

I don't think it would, that would be indicative of higher brain function.

Away from the smell of flesh they're almost comatose.

Maybe slap a steak on one of their faces?

mru

Roen wrote: »

According to Brooks guide they last three to five years before losing structural integrity.
Something to with with the virus that causes getting the zombie freak on in the first place killing all the other bacteria that would normally rot us in a matter of months.

total noob question - but who's this Brooks character?

Teferi

mru wrote: »

total noob question - but who's this Brooks character?

:eek: Blasphemy!
Max Brooks


His Books

Absolutly a must read for a survivor with a chance

Doctor DooM

Teferi wrote: »

:eek: Blasphemy!
Max Brooks


His Books

Absolutly a must read for a survivor with a chance

Go easy now. We should welcome all who wish to learn to survive!

Teferi

How was I in any way harsh?

Roen

mru wrote: »

total noob question - but who's this Brooks character?

Don't worry dude, even by visiting here you're well ahead of most of the rest of the population and stand a better chance when the s**t hits the fan!

Doctor DooM

Teferi wrote: »

How was I in any way harsh?

Was kidding dude, like you. Thus the .

Grizzly 45

Would say about 9months before they are totally immobile.Dead tissue rots pretty quick in open air.So whatever is holding them together[IE muscle,joints sinew] will be useless even quicker. Check out the Body farm to see how quick we fall apart in the open.Or simply buy a steak as fresh as possible.Put it outside,as this will get smelly,leave there for as long as possible ,or until the health dept visits you and removes it[and men in white coats with a big butterfly net come and remove you:)] Note how long it takes to fall apart and rot,and that then is how long your avg Z will be a threat.

Doctor DooM

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Would say about 9months before they are totally immobile.Dead tissue rots pretty quick in open air.So whatever is holding them together[IE muscle,joints sinew] will be useless even quicker. Check out the Body farm to see how quick we fall apart in the open.Or simply buy a steak as fresh as possible.Put it outside,as this will get smelly,leave there for as long as possible ,or until the health dept visits you and removes it[and men in white coats with a big butterfly net come and remove you:)] Note how long it takes to fall apart and rot,and that then is how long your avg Z will be a threat.

The Solanum (sp?) virus retards the muscle degradation somewhat however.

Thats from Brooks

Fad

SDooM wrote: »

Yes. The biochemical reactions which heal us stop in a Zombie. They rot away, eventually to nothing.

after they rot do they leave a fertile compost? useful for growing crops during repopulation or would the organic matter be tainted with the virus?

Teferi

Fad wrote: »

after they rot do they leave a fertile compost? useful for growing crops during repopulation or would the organic matter be tainted with the virus?

You test that out. We'll stand back with our winchesters at the ready

Doctor DooM

Fad wrote: »

after they rot do they leave a fertile compost? useful for growing crops during repopulation or would the organic matter be tainted with the virus?

Jeebus. Imagine zombie plants. *Shudders*

Galvasean

Don't forget that the zombies can resurface years after they were supposed to rot away. For example those in cold areas rot far slower than usual. If they become trapped in ice they can be suspended indefinitely until the ice thaws.

Brooks also noted (someone mentioned this already) that the solanum infected zombies last much longer than they should, particularly in salt water. The reason for this is poorly understood, but believed to be linked with the fact that animals cannot eat infected flesh. The same must also be true for micro-organisms.
To this end I doubt decaying zombies would make a good fertilizer. More than likely their decomposition would kill nearby plant life. What I'd be worried about would be them poisoning our water supply. That is why I am very much against burial as a means of disposing them.

Doctor DooM

Galvasean wrote: »

Don't forget that the zombies can resurface years after they were supposed to rot away. For example those in cold areas rot far slower than usual. If they become trapped in ice they can be suspended indefinitely until the ice thaws.

Brooks also noted (someone mentioned this already) that the solanum infected zombies last much longer than they should, particularly in salt water. The reason for this is poorly understood, but believed to be linked with the fact that animals cannot eat infected flesh. The same must also be true for micro-organisms.
To this end I doubt decaying zombies would make a good fertilizer. More than likely their decomposition would kill nearby plant life. What I'd be worried about would be them poisoning our water supply. That is why I am very much against burial as a means of disposing them.

Indeed. Flamey McFiredeath for the corpses.

iUseVi

I heard that the faster a zombie moves, the faster it decays. Something to do with chemical processes or something.

EDIT: Not sure what this forum is all about, but I can tell that it rocks.

Doctor DooM

iUseVi wrote: »

I heard that the faster a zombie moves, the faster it decays. Something to do with chemical processes or something.

At very least it would increase the speed of the wear and tear. Remember zombies cant rebuild their flesh which gets damaged in strenuous activity like us, and don't have lactic acid or mitosis.

Galvasean

SDooM wrote: »

Indeed. Flamey McFiredeath for the corpses.

Im not sure about that either. Said fuel may be better used keeping us warm. You think oil is expensive now!!!? :pac:
Also, I'm sure inhaling zombie smoke = super cancer.

Creature

Well it really depends on what canon you follow. If you go by George A. Romero's body of work (which you really should because Romero > everything else) we see the zombies decay in appearance but never to the point of loss of bodily integrity. We are never actually told how far apart timewise the films differ but it must be assumed that by Land of the Dead a few decades at least have passed.

iUseVi

What about joints? Can they pop back in disjointed shoulders and such? Or will such damage be permanent?

Doctor DooM

iUseVi wrote: »

What about joints? Can they pop back in disjointed shoulders and such? Or will such damage be permanent?

Very good question actually. I would say once the joints gone, it's gone.

Grizzly 45

SDooM wrote: »

Jeebus. Imagine zombie plants. *
Yes they do exist!!! They are called Triffids.Giant mobile Venus Flytraps. Sea water is a good weed killer for those beasties.

Galvasean

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

SDooM wrote: »

Jeebus. Imagine zombie plants. *
Yes they do exist!!! They are called Triffids.Giant mobile Venus Flytraps. Sea water is a good weed killer for those beasties.

They aren't zombies. They're aliens.
And we sent them packing in the 70s!!!

Sarn

Flesh-eating maggots (or mutated versions if necessary, but then that's a whole new issue) could aid in zombie degradation.

Corrosive chemicals would also prove useful although there is also a risk to ourselves without appropriate protective equipment. A case of using a crop-duster over a horde.

Galvasean

Sarn wrote: »

Flesh-eating maggots (or mutated versions if necessary, but then that's a whole new issue) could aid in zombie degradation.

Unfortunately no known animal can injest zombie flesh without dying. We'd have to genetically engineer such a creature and TBH I reckon any such creature may prove to be worse than the zombies! Cane toad syndrome if you will.

Doctor DooM

Galvasean wrote: »

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

They aren't zombies. They're aliens.
And we sent them packing in the 70s!!!

Triffid VS Zombie grudge match?

Roen

Na, triffids weren't aliens, they were developed in Russia in the 50's as a solution to all the food and oil shortages after WWII.
http://triffids.wuthering-heights.co.uk/triffids.htm

Galvasean

Roen wrote: »

Na, triffids weren't aliens, they were developed in Russia in the 50's as a solution to all the food and oil shortages after WWII.
http://triffids.wuthering-heights.co.uk/triffids.htm

Oh thats right, they just took advantage of that cosmic event blinding everyone.

Roen

Galvasean wrote: »

Oh thats right, they just took advantage of that cosmic event blinding everyone.

That's the truth! Waiting in the wings......waiting.......

mru

ta for the links mate - I will be well read, and more importantly ready for the day when the dead walk the earth...

Galvasean

Roen wrote: »

That's the truth! Waiting in the wings......waiting.......

Luckily some drunken Arsenal fans didn't look up when the flash was going on. Single handedly saved the world we did. :cool:

Mac 79

Galvasean wrote: »

Don't forget that the zombies can resurface years after they were supposed to rot away. For example those in cold areas rot far slower than usual. If they become trapped in ice they can be suspended indefinitely until the ice thaws.

Brooks also noted (someone mentioned this already) that the solanum infected zombies last much longer than they should, particularly in salt water. The reason for this is poorly understood, but believed to be linked with the fact that animals cannot eat infected flesh. The same must also be true for micro-organisms.
To this end I doubt decaying zombies would make a good fertilizer. More than likely their decomposition would kill nearby plant life. What I'd be worried about would be them poisoning our water supply. That is why I am very much against burial as a means of disposing them.

what about bacteria, if nothing can eat infected flesh can the zombie's rot without bacteria or is it down to chemical reaction's and wear and tear