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So what's everyone opinion on the matter? Are they real or fake? Fast or slow? Will they destroy the world? Do you think the bath salts guy from Miami could possibly be a ZOMBIE???

No, no he couldn't.
 

Real or Fake: They are a possibility but nothing more yet...

Fast or Slow: I suspect fast since slow would die out to quickly to be noticed by the world.

Will they destroy the world:  In a worst case ending they would take over the major contienets but a lot of islands(+ Madagascar) would still survive.

Salt Guy from Miami: Voodoo zombie or really sick old guy. Besides, if he was a real zombie then that outbreak has already failed.

The Miami guy was only 31 years old. My friend's logic behind why they thought he was a zombie irritates me sometimes.

"He's a zombie because he didn't stop with one shot while he was eating a guy's face."

He was eating a guy's face! Of course he won't go down with one shot!

When someone's on certain drugs they don't feel the pain from gunshots as badly, which is normally what takes people down (unless it hits a vital organ or the brain). Like those people who robbed a bank in California who were on Barbituates so even though they got hit repeatedly, the side arms and shot guns the police were using from long range failed to take them down for a long, long time. I'm not sure, but the bath salts he was addicted to could have had similar effects. Actually, that's why my dad was issued an AR-15 for use on duty.

Yeah if just surviving a gunshot and eating another person makes you a zombie, then every cannibal in history was a "zombie".

But, I kind of understand why everyone is referring to that guy as a zombie. He was obviously out of his mind(who knows what he thought he was doing), highly aggressive(kind of a duh comment, but yeah...), and had little to no feeling of pain. It's a loose similarity, but zombie makes for a better headline than 'drugged up guy attacks man and eats his face.'

On another note, when I was younger my friend's dad was attacked by a man on PCP. He literally walked out the front door of his house and this man jumped on him and just literally beat him almost to death. My friend's mom had to lock the door and couldn't help him because the man tried to knock down the door when he saw her through the window. The police got there and arrested the man, and my friend's dad survived. By then though he had literally started clawing at the door with his finger nails to get inside. Turns out when the man was high, he thought that my friend's dad was a demon trying to kill him. 

Basically, anyone is capable of doing terrible things when they their mind is altered by drugs. Not everyone becomes violent with the effects, but everyone is capable. Better just to not even tempt it.

I'm going to quote 3J here since I think it's relevant to the discussion.

"I completely agree, to add to one point you made: "drugs don't change people, they reveal them, so to speak." Drugs don't reveal people over an open interval. That is to say that if you encounter person X at time Y on substance Z, then you'll see a revelation of Person X at time Y. You won't see a revelation of Person X at time Y+/-10 years (or maybe, 10 hours). For instance, your friend John Smith takes Phencyclidine on a Sunday afternoon, and he encounters a bunch of friends and they have some really great talks and a lot of friends. John Smith then takes Phencyclidine ten days later. However, in between the two ingestions, half of his family was murdered by a serial killer. This time, John sees the same people but he ends up menacing them, and eventually threatening to kill them. The PCP brought out the darkness in John in the second circumstance but that doesn't mean John was dark a week earlier or will be a week later. Drugs bring out the state that the person is in at the time that they take the drug. That's why it's important to take precautions before you ever think about ingesting anything. If your head is in the wrong space, you should probably avoid it."

Oh, I read something recently about how there are certain witch doctors in Africa who use drugs to enduce a zombie like state. That being, a super sluggish person whose heart rate falls so low that they can be mistaken as dead. (I saw where one guy had been pronounced dead by a prominent doctor), even buried while his family attended the funeral. Apparently the witch doctor dug him the next night, then reburied the coffin empty. Took the man back home and used him as a slave by keeping him drugged enough to be only capable of minor tasks like sweeping, eating(sloppily), and a few other tasks the with doctor forced him to do around the house. 

Eventually the witch doctor died and the man eventually came out of the zombie state brought on by the drug. He returned home and scared his family half to death. They dug up his grave and found the empty coffin. It turns out that someone he had pissed off paid the witch doctor to poison him. But, obviously instead of killing him, the witch doctor used him as a slave and took the guys money. 

I'll edit later when I find the link to that article.

On another note, ever since I watched the movie Quarantined I have been convinced that one day a mad scientist will engineer a Super Rabis and trigger the zombie apocalypse. Or, you know, his apartment building to be quarantined while all the occupants slowly kill each other.

Edit:

Sorry it was in Haiti, not Africa. (Still trying to find that article)

haha, I thought it had to do with Voodoo so the Africa part was throwing me off :P I've heard similar stories of the "Voodoo zombies", but I don't think I heard anything about them eating flesh. Still pretty cool though.

No, they don't eat other people. I think that's why the witch doctors(or whatever term they are given in haiti) use them as house slaves(almost literally). But, considering there is a history of the locals being terrified of being turned into zombies, the stories have probably been embellished quite a bit along with the fact that the witch doctors like the status brought on by the fear.

I have no clue whatsoever, but I'm intrigued by the possibility.

Destroy the world: Depends on how widespread the initial infection, how quickly it'll spread before it's noticed, how well trained people are to deal with them, when people realize the infected are zombies rather than phased out stoners, and several other variables.

Speed: I think that when they die they'll be able to move as fast as humans, but old zombies depend on what the virus does. If it kills the body except for the brain, then over time they'll slow down as the muscles torn in their legs from running don't rebuild.

real or fake: Possibility and nothing more

Fast or slow: Probably slow because of how people think the virs works

Destroy world: Unlikely life would  become much more difficult and survival unlikely but would still be around. Besides even if we nuked everything the  world will go on.

they did drug tests. Pot, not bath salts. Get you drug facts right. Also people have tried (and sort of succeeded) to make zombies. Maybe in the far future they will fully succeed. :-(

Well i don't consider a zombie outbreak much of a threat anymore because nearly everybody knows about them today. 

The thing about that is, how do we know so much about them? All we "know" is what Hollywood portrays to us. For all we know the zombies wouldn't even want to eat people and would regular functioning members of society.

Thank you for enlightening me on the toxicology of a cannibal. I applaud you.

The only thing that guy was on was marijuana, as far as I read. Which is strange. It doesn't matter how quickly they move if each bite or scratch makes another zombie. I thnk the world would notice an exponential growth of people eating each other. I have no idea why people would use bath salts but that guy wasn't using them; it was misreported.

i said it before u. Quit copying me.

Srry. Im not hatin im just letting you know (although rather rudely)

Hmm, I read on Wikipedia that some other undigested pills were also in his stomach. I've never heard of marijuana causing someone to be extremely violent (from friends that is). For some reason I just don't think pot would have messed him up enough do it alone.

Bath salts + acids = undesired result.

Marijuana helped him to hallucinate, but the above mixture would've triggered that.

Slow they have strength in numbers.

But why would they be slow is my question. And of course they have strength in numbers, everything does :P

The virus is making the brain is working at a very low level. So low that it can't handle the micro muscle control it takes to run.

That's certainly one possibility. The virus I envisioned simply a.) takes over the brain, so the human body itself acts as a virus (feeding on others to sustain itself then moving on once ti spreads) or b.) descends a human to being feral, feeling less pain and thinking only of feeding. The spreading of the virus as they feed is only a side effect as the majority of viruses can be spread through the exchanging of bodily fluids, like saliva to bloodstream, or c.) the virus or parasite (like in Dead Rising) kills the host over time, and then reanimates the brain after death. Although it can't reanimate the finer points of the human brain, like refined thinking and rationality or projecting your thoughts through speech, it can uphold basic functions like moving and feeding.

Options A and B provide the full manuverability of the human body without complications, and option C provides full speed for a limited time, but as the muscles fail to repair (as that's one of the finer parts of the brain) after they rip, and so the legs eventually slow and then fail.

The virus I think of is more of killing the brain and taking over changing the way the brain works to that of a wild animal. The zombie will attack anything that moves and attempt to consume it as to follow the natural lifestyle of an animal. Or something like that.

I find it more of a problem of the process of zombie making.

1. I contract zombie-disease/ whatever it is.  Is it through a viral way, or is it already in me, ready to be triggered?

2. Do I die?  Or is my transformation on the fly while I'm still alive?

3. What instinct do I still have in my head that makes me extremely aggressive to only living things, paired with an extreme hunger?  Why am I passive to other zombies?

4. How far can I go before my body breaks from overuse?  Does it regenerate over time like a normal body?  Or has virus completely fucked my body over?

5. Which senses are damaged/improved?  If 4 is true, then does my athleticism change? Do I develop different muscles?

Most importantly:

6. Is there more than one way to interact with my rival organism, the human?

Do I have to attack them?  Can I just kill, but not eat?

1: You Contract the Virus through either known or unknown ways or failing that can contract it from the Zombie via getting so much as a scratch or a bite on you.

2: You die 3 hours before becoming a zombie

3: The Virus has a want to consume and it uses your body *through the brain that is controlled by the virus* and passiveness to other zombies is due to the fact that it does not attack others of the same viral strain.

4: Virus outright fucked your body over, muscle tissue does not regenerate and it takes 5 years min. for the body to decompose.

5: You no longer get exhausted because your lungs are now useless, wounds to anywhere but the brain do not affect you, hearing is improved, smelling is acute, taste is dead same with touch, and you no longer need air so you as a zombie can traverse water for a while but it accelerates decomposing.

6: You attack through scratching and Biting, you can end up killing the person but you will eat unless the body is destroyed or there isn't anything left.

4. I outright object to that.  Water slows down the process of decomposition.  Trying to move rotting flesh is like tearing worn cloth, it becomes softer and more malleable over time.  I just decided to look up the stages of decomposition in humans, and a full decomposition in mild weather is two years minimum.

Lol, why am I even trying to discuss this?  It is fiction after all...

XD

1. It would depend on the virus. The oral exchange (normally through bodily fluids exchanged by putting saliva in the blood stream) is the most common theory, but it could also theoretically be water or air born, depending on the author. It's the most popular because it actually gives us a bit of a chance. If it can be transmitted by breathing the same air as zombies or drinking water contaminated by zombies (some theories are that they wander into bodies of water while pursuing humans due to their primitive one-mindedness) it would practically be game over.

2.) Once again it depends on the virus. I personally prefer alive seeing as the virus can simply shut down parts of the brain or control your actions, but some favor reincarnation brought on by the virus.

3a.) My favorite theory on it is that the virus reverts the brain to a feral state and makes it constantly feed to sustain the virus.

3b.) I wouldn't know. If I were to write a zombie story right now, it would be because all beings would rather eat fresh meat than rotting flesh, but they would eat other zombies if there was a lack of food.

4.) It would depend on the answer to 2.). To me, the logical answer would be that if it were alive and could function like a human, muscles would rip and heal like normal. If they were dead or if parts of the brain (besides feeding) was shut down then we wouldn't have the ability to release chemicals to heal the muscles and you'd eventually just fall to the floor and be unable to move (If you play DnD, look up what happens when your strength stat falls to 0).

5a.) It would depend on 2, 3, and 4 combined. If you're alive and hunger for humans, then you'd likely just have instinct and adrenaline take over coupled with a lack of concern for your body that can be found in sentient humans, and be like a Left 4 Dead zombie, so quite deadly. If you died and just revived parts of your brain, then you'd likely have ripped or otherwise impaired muscles and would shamble around like Dead Rising zombies ( the examples are just to give you a visual).

5b.) I've given a little thought to mutations brought on by the virus. I don't know how or if this is even possible, but the virus could bring on mutations in your cells (like how cancer is just constant mutation of your cells) and if that could change your DNA, you could change into the "specialist" zombies that you can find in some games. I don't give much credit to it though.

6a.) That depends on the answer to 3. If it's brought on by instinct, then you'd actively try to kill and eat humans (as they're the most plentiful food source) to sustain the virus. Theoretically you could eat anything a human could, but with all that action you'd be more likely to eat meat to get more carbs and protein.

6b.) It depends on if your body just wants to spread the virus or sustain it. If the only goal is to spread, then you could very well bite them to exchange saliva and spread the virus, and then just leave them alone. Of course, you'd have to eat something eventually, and chances are it'll be human, but I guess the humans could feed you. Unless you zombify them while they're doing it of course :P

I loved those questions. If you haven't noticed, I enjoy discussing zombie theories :)

Same, my theories originate mostly from the book: 'The Zombie Survival Guide' by Max Brooks. While you already outlined your theories.

Actually the only option that provides full maneuverability of the body is b.

The a option sounds a bit to much like vampirism for me to consider them a zombie

To defend whoever said what he said for option A, there are fast zombies, along with zombies that heal...but only ones that heal are zombies born of necromancy and even then its from the necromancer's work, the fast zombies are more found in remakes or in certain Viral Codes.

I only really theorize on the possibility of a virus. With a necromancer or something it's like "Fuck it, let's do what we want' because it's magic :P

Actually, Virus A.) is possible mobility if they completely take over the brain, it would include how to work and repair muscles.

As said it depends on the strain of Virus.

OH shit guys. It's 28 days later now!

Today is the day my mom regrets she wants stricter gun control. 

lol damn reading this thread gets me excited for Zerkas story.

Same here man

Me too - I can't wait to be finished - it just keeps growing and growing and growing - like some sort of zombie virus or something ;)

What Viruses are known to us? at least in terms of books, films, and games?

T-Virus, (Sometimes) Black Death Plauge, 28days later virus, unknown virus. That's all i can think off at any rate.

Sometimes it's a parasite.

(RE4 had the Parus Plagus and RE5 had Manjinis)

There's also the C-Virus for RE6 coming out soon. 

Don't forget G-Virus though that is more Bio-weapon than zombie, and Solanum.

Their are whole articles devoted to this on cracked.com

Yeah, I'm gonna post one.

Real or Fake: ... I'd say both, depending on the circumstances.

Fast or slow: Depends on how the zombie is created.

Destroy the world?: Not a chance.

Bath salts guy: He was likely having a hallucination. That said, it was a pretty damn disturbing incident.

All of that said - Here's an article on cracked.com that I found interesting. They listed 5 ways a zombie apocalypse (at least of sorts) could, scientifically, happen: http://www.cracked.com/article_15643_5-scientific-reasons-zombie-apocalypse-could-actually-happen.html

Now, if upon reading this article or even long before, you're made uncomfortable about the possibility of your neighbors turning mindless killer and chomping on your flesh, this other article will help you sleep soundly, and possibly amuse you, as it involves how zombies NATURALLY EXPLODE: http://www.cracked.com/article_18683_7-scientific-reasons-zombie-outbreak-would-fail-quickly.html?wa_user1=5&wa_user2=Science&wa_user3=article&wa_user4=yesincite 

(I will definitely sleep soundly as my part of the states was listed as a safe zone. Zombie jerky, anyone? Oh, and, I need to go buy a corpse rake, apparently...)

My favorite part of that second article, by the way, other than the exploding zombies and a couple other really funny mental images you get, may be this paragraph:

"Plus, if we look at zombies as a species, they are pretty much designed for failure. Their main form of reproduction is also their only source of food and their top predator. If they want to eat or reproduce, they have to go toe to toe with their number one predator every single time. That's like having to fight a lion every time you to want to have sex or make a sandwich. Actually, it's worse than that: Most top predators are only armed with teeth and claws, meaning they have to put themselves in harm's way to score a kill. Humans have rifles."

Though obviously if they can get a scratch or bite or infect....well thats it yer screwed.

Least, that is the case for Solanum or certain viruses