What you need to survive in the zombie apocalypse. Zombie apocalypse: how will states react?

The topic of turning part of the Earth's population into bloodthirsty zombies who walk the streets of cities and hunt those who are still alive has been exciting minds for many decades. Interest in zombies Lately dials enormous power, while the main supplier of stories about the dead continues to be the United States. It is here that people constantly wonder when the zombie apocalypse will happen and diligently prepare for this day. The Pentagon has even developed an action plan in case of such a phenomenon. Why does this question bother people? Let’s try to figure it out today.

Apocalypse problem

The zombie apocalypse is a fantasy scenario of many horror films, where some viral infection turns healthy people into living dead cannibals who are aggressive, and this leads to the extinction of the Earth's population.

In 1968, real zombies in the form of the bloodthirsty dead were introduced into culture thanks to the film Night of the Living Dead. After this, ideas about the apocalypse began to act as standard models that were applied to many areas of mass culture. Fictional apocalypse scenarios involve a zombie invasion with an infectious virus similar to an epidemic of a real disease. Bite walking dead contributes to the demise of a person and his subsequent transformation into a monster who is eager to attack living people. The military and police cannot cope with such a large-scale threat, so those who remain alive must fight.

The scenario also describes how to protect yourself from zombies. To do this, you need to find a weapon and a car in which to go to a deserted place and settle there. You must first stock up on food, clothing, water, medications and various equipment.

Reality and zombies

Many scientists have developed a model of the zombie apocalypse as a viral epidemic of unknown origin, pointing out that the existence of this problem will lead to the collapse of civilization. In 2011, a humorous instruction was published on how to what to do during a zombie apocalypse. This joke aroused public interest. Three years later, the Pentagon developed a plan to evacuate people from cities if such a disaster occurred.

In Britain, scientists calculated how long it would take until the complete destruction of humanity in the event of an apocalypse. According to their assumptions, within one hundred days the number of people on earth will be two hundred people, and zombies - one hundred million individuals. They also found that, , it will acquire global proportions within twenty days. The chances of becoming infected in this case would be 90%, but the dead themselves would live for twenty days, after which they would be eliminated due to hunger and dehydration.

Preparing for the apocalypse

Today, almost everyone knows. They swept through popular culture quite quickly, appearing in movies, books, video games, and so on. The fear of crowds of the dead who want to feast on living flesh is deeply imprinted in the American brain. Therefore, so-called anti-zombie kits began to appear in many weapons stores, which included real knives, shotguns, and so on.

The comedian released a “Survival Guide” in case of an apocalypse, which formed the basis famous film"World War Z". The Pentagon developed plan CONOP 888, which describes actions to attack zombies. There are regular exercises in Kansas, so everyone is ready for that moment. This topic is also highlighted by mass media, periodically releasing news that, of course, are canards.

But most people tend to believe fake news, so they are seriously preparing for a mass epidemic. For example, several years ago it was reported that ashore on. A male body was dumped in St. Thomas with its skin torn off. When the police arrived, the drowned man stood up and attacked them. The law enforcement officers began to shoot at the man, but this had no effect, so they began to retreat. One of the observers grabbed a pistol and shot the dead man in the head, from which he died. The body was taken by the military, who later claimed to exist. A few years later, the Minister of Australia, before the date of the expected end of the world (12/12/2012), made a statement that she was ready to protect her people from the walking dead.

Solanum virus

Zombies are neither the result of black magic nor any other force. They come from a virus called Solanum. And whether there will be a zombie apocalypse depends on how quickly this virus spreads on the planet. This virus spreads through the blood from the site of entry to the brain. It uses frontal cells to copy data, which it then destroys. When this happens, all body functions stop, the brain does not die, but goes into a dormant state, and Solanum turns the body's cells into new organs. The resulting new organism is not dependent on oxygen. Once the mutation is complete, the body comes to life, but it is similar to a corpse. Some body functions remain, others function limitedly, and others stop altogether. This the new kind called a zombie - a representative of the living dead. Thus, the Solanum virus creates real zombies; it enters the blood of a healthy person, causing certain mutations.

Survive at any cost!

Survival is the main goal in an apocalypse. When confronted with the living dead, many abilities are needed: first aid, weaponry, leadership, and more. Currently, many films are devoted to this topic, by watching which you can gain knowledge about how to survive and fight zombies. To eliminate such an individual, it is necessary to turn off its brain; no other methods have been found to combat these creatures.

the walking Dead

Today, almost everyone knows, These are the walking dead who embody evil. They are endowed with unmotivated rage, aggression towards the living, severe hunger, and travel in packs. Their brain is damaged, body functions do not work, tissues decompose. But there is no logic in all this; such creatures are observed only in pop culture and have nothing to do with reality.

This image of zombies was created for movie plots for the purpose of box office revenue. After all, it is the dead who are most afraid of people who believe in the zombie apocalypse. Science refutes the possibility of the existence of such walking dead. Thus, it has been proven that in dead body metabolic processes do not occur, there is no tissue regeneration, there is no biochemistry in it that can provide thinking, movement, reflexes and aggression itself. It follows that zombies in real life won't be able to walk because they don't have the strength to do so internal energy. Since the connections between the tissues are very weakened, they would simply fall apart. In addition, the dead do not have digestion, so they cannot eat their victims.

Zombified man

This version is more realistic and somewhat suitable for modern times. According to some interpretations, a modern zombie obeys someone’s orders; he is a person with compromised mental health and memory. He is a kind of slave without consciousness and will, deprived of independence, and follows orders from the outside.

We know what a zombie apocalypse is from movies and books, but what if it has already arrived? In this case, the role of zombies is played by sectarians who blindly give their property to the sect, and in some cases commit murders and suicides. By manipulating human consciousness, their leaders commit various illegal acts at the hands of other people. Also, those who blindly believe political rhetoric can become zombies. Such a zombie apocalypse has already happened in our history and claimed a huge number of lives - it was called fascism.

Infected people

Pop culture has created a type of zombie that matches healthy man, infected with a dangerous virus, it makes him aggressive and hungry, lost common sense. Such a virus, according to some sources, is created in a military laboratory that is developing biological weapons. Therefore the question is when will the zombie apocalypse start, is very relevant. In fact, such viruses already exist in nature and are familiar to many people.

Real viruses

IN modern world There are several diseases. People who suffer from them resemble zombies to some extent:

  1. Toxoplasmosis is a disease that is transmitted from cats. Many studies that have been conducted on rats have shown that when infected with this virus, they begin to eat themselves. This disease actually affects half of globe. People with a strong immune system do not notice any symptoms, but those whose immunity is weakened notice outbursts of anger and auto-aggression. Although toxoplasmosis has not turned anyone into a zombie to date.
  2. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a disease of the cerebral cortex and neural nodes, which is dystrophic in nature. The human brain is damaged, hallucinations begin, dementia, loss of skills, inadequate thinking, and rage appear. There is no cure for this disease; it can be hereditary or acquired. But this disease is unlikely to lead to a zombie apocalypse, since a person with this disease dies within two years.
  3. African trypanosomiasis is caused by the bite of a tsetse fly. The disease affects the central nervous system, causing attacks of hunger, accompanied by fatigue and lethargy. Perhaps this disease created the image of zombies among African peoples. But this disease is completely curable and will not lead to the apocalypse.

Zombies in modern culture

So ? Most likely never. Zombie is just a promoted brand that was created to make money. This image symbolizes a person’s phobias, something terrible that one can encounter in life. And many make money from these phobias. Today, almost everyone knows who zombies are, what they look like, what they eat, and how to kill them. And all this thanks modern culture: cinema and literature. In communication, the words “zombie”, “apocalypse”, “walking dead” and so on are increasingly being used. Some universities around the world study zombies as cultural phenomenon. Students are considering the question of why people have been filming recently great amount films about these monsters, and what interests them common man. Every year in various countries there is a peace procession large quantity people disguised as dead people. Sociologists and psychologists are still studying this phenomenon.

Results

Thus, the zombie in the modern world expresses human fears from which it is impossible to escape. It is films that give rise to these phobias, which in many cases require medical treatment. And the apocalypse most likely will not come for the next hundred years.

Just recently we told you, but today we will tell you how to survive if all the people turned into zombies. Let's imagine that everything happened the way it is shown in American films. The virus affected the planet's population, and most of the people became the walking dead. Without getting bogged down on the physiological and biological side of this phenomenon, let’s consider the main method of survival in a zombie apocalypse.

If a person wakes up and sees that the risen corpses are attacking people, then he does not need to panic. If he lives in an apartment, then he should barricade it, and if in a house, close the doors and windows and cover them with furniture.

Since there is only enough food for the first time, you will soon need to leave your home. You don’t have to take personal documents and money, because they don’t matter now. You need to carefully inspect your home. You should take water, food, medicine, as well as winter and summer clothes.

Then you need to inspect your home for weapons. Suitable stun gun, crossbow, gas canister, pneumatics, bats, etc. This won’t save you from zombies, but it can slow them down for a while. If there firearms, then it will be very good. In addition, you need to take batteries and, if available, walkie-talkies, even amateur ones will do.

Now it’s worth talking about surviving the zombie apocalypse outside the home. When there are only a couple of days left of food supplies, it’s time to go outside. You should be very quiet, as the dead react to noise. You need to find a car, if you have your own, great.

Next you should find additional firearms. To do this, you can stop by a gun store or police station. If someone has already taken everything there, then you should fight off the risen corpses with such means as a crowbar, rod or hammer.

Then you need to leave the city, since the dead are most numerous in densely populated areas. On the way you need to stop and drain gasoline from passing cars. When a person has left the city, you need to find a deserted open place, preferably near the road. This place should be visible 500-600 meters around so that the approaching dead can be seen.

Survival in a zombie apocalypse requires constant concentration and concentration from a person. You need to be careful and prudent. In addition, one should be wary not only of corpses, but also of people who might commit murder for food or a means of transportation. However, you cannot survive alone in a cruel world, so you will have to rely on your intuition and make new friends. Preference should be given to young girls who have the ability to reproduce; doctors, without whom you can’t even cope with appendicitis on your own; farmers who are well versed in growing vegetables and fruits.

Now about the place permanent residence. It all depends on many circumstances, but if possible, it is better to choose a prison, a remote farm or the private sector, which is located on long distance from the city. Besides, excellent option there will be deserted islands that can be reached by ship.

Many of us have watched films about the zombie apocalypse, and while watching you were probably indignant at how someone could act so stupidly. In our editorial office there are also fearless men who are indignant at the stupid antics of the main characters of zombie horror films. We sat here, thought and decided to draw up small rules for surviving a zombie apocalypse.

So, Rule number one: fast feet.

After conducting a small analysis of foreign films, our editors came to the conclusion that most of the “not dead” walk very slowly (gnawed legs and broken bones get in the way). Therefore, having comfortable shoes and a well-developed “long-distance running” skill is vital.

Rule two. "Woman's" food.


Yes, yes, women constantly deceive us, claiming that granola bars are only for weight loss. In fact, you shouldn’t ignore any food that can replenish your energy, and granola bars are just what you need. They take up little space in your backpack, while perfectly keeping your body in good shape. Why do you need to be in good shape? See rule No. 1

Rule three. Baseball bat.

If you still don’t have this device at home or in your car, be sure to buy it. And don’t let the simplicity of this type of weapon confuse you, the bat crushes the heads of the hated zombies no worse than a shotgun, and does not make any noise at all. And as we all know very well (again from foreign films), noise attracts zombies, and we don’t need extra “living” aggressive people. (They may come running at the sound of a shot.)

Rule four. Cleanliness is the key to health.


Civilization has come to an end, and with it, hot showers, soap, shampoo and other hygienic procedures. It is better to save pretty ladies from smelly zombies in proper form, there is only one way out - wet wipes. They won’t take up much space in your bag, and it will always help to wipe your face and hands from the adhering remains of the dead.

Rule five. Water.


A supply of drinking water should always be at hand. Getting used to living with constants physical activity, you need to drink at least a liter of fluid per day. Yes, what are we telling you, you already know that water is important.

Rule six. Respirator.


We also thought that it wouldn’t hurt to have a respirator, or at least a scarf. Decaying corpses do not smell like violets, but there will be a lot of them.

Rule seven. Durable clothing.


It's good if you have a motorcycle or paintball uniform. If you don’t have one in your closet, your favorite leather jacket will do. It will be much more difficult to bite through this than a shirt. (Goodbye T-shirts and shorts!) Don't forget gloves and durable pants. It's +30 outside, and you're in leather jacket and gloves, we understand - it’s not easy! But it’s better to save humanity by sweating; in the role of the walking dead, you won’t even save yourself.

Rule eight. My home is my castle.


Forget about your apartment and grandma’s dacha, you need something more serious, preferably with stone walls and a couple of emergency exits, small loophole windows and a good fence. The ideal option is a military base, prison or power plant.

Rule nine. Weapon.


Remember the main thing is yours the weapon is your brain (the main thing is that it doesn’t get eaten!) and only then the gun. You are lucky and you are an avid hunter, consider that +50 to your survival is guaranteed. If you have only seen weapons in movies, it’s time to find out where the nearest hunting store is. This is where you need to go in the first days of the zombie outbreak in order to remove as many weapons as possible from there. (and don't forget about the ammo!)

Rule ten. “And then the girls!”

After a crazy race through the city streets and getting your “daily bread”, you want affection and home comfort. Your fighting friend, or the beautiful maiden you saved, will help you with this. Nothing restores like that peace of mind like passionate sex. What if it’s your last day!

Do you think I'm crazy? Look at the news - due to the Ebola disease, several people have come back from the dead. What to do if the zombie apocalypse does happen? How to understand this?

1. beginning:

The news will urgently broadcast a message that outbreaks of Ebola disease have been detected throughout the world. When you hear this, you will have a couple of days to stock up on food, weapons, toilet paper, equipment, medicine and everything you need to survive. As provisions, I advise you to take a lot of water, biscuits, canned food, sausages (boiled immediately, otherwise there may be no electricity), vodka to warm you up at night (500 grams for a man, 200 for a woman, a couple of drops diluted in water for children))
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE ENOUGH FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS.

2. The next day:

You managed to stock up on food, water, weapons, board games (after all, you will have to sit at home, cut off from the world for 2 (or even more) weeks) and clothes (in your clothing arsenal, you should have at least one pair of thick rubber gloves. Because Ebola disease is transmitted directly through the blood, sweat, excrement, urine and other fluids of an infected person. Best of all: take 2 gloves and put them on each hand. (To be honest, your hands don’t play a special role here; the pathogen can enter your body only through: eyes, mouth, nose and any cuts)). There is panic on the street; several zombies have already been spotted.
Now is the time (or better yet, even earlier) to barricade the doors and windows in your house (or apartment (if the apartment is high, then the windows do not have to be barricaded, although curtain the windows more tightly, because zombies are attracted to light)). To do this, take from the nearest hardware store: hammer, nails, glue, boards. Lock the door and nail boards to it. UNDER NO EVENT DO YOU LET “FRIENDLY” NEIGHBORS INTO YOUR HOUSE (APARTMENT). THEY WILL ACTUALLY KILL YOU AND TAKE ALL YOUR SUPPLIES.

3. third day:

There has been an epidemic on the streets for a long time. Over the next 2 (or more) weeks, you will hear screams, shots, probably even explosions, car horns and cries like: “Help!!!”, “Lord, save me!!!”, “For what?!!” , "Take it, zombie!" etc.

4. after 2 (or more) weeks:

Food supplies have almost dried up, the streets are more or less calm, the Internet, cellular communications and electricity no longer work. We need to get out of the apartment (house): carefully remove the barricades we have erected. The main thing is to be quiet. Zombies are attracted to noise, light and follow the scent of a person. It’s better to buy yourself a couple of colognes in advance for camouflage. After you get out of your “shelter”, and it is better to do this with a partner, it is advisable that he be a man, and that you both have weapons. Cover your face (or better yet, have a motorcycle helmet). If zombie blood gets on it, then in 75% of cases you will become infected. Get out quietly, do not take women and children with you (if any), let them lock the door behind you. Look around, assess the situation - is there any danger, if not, then move on, if there is, then I advise you to kill one at a time, retreat and have room for maneuvers. Meeting them is quite unpleasant and dangerous, so I advise you, before leaving, to remove the boards in the area of ​​the pupil in the door and take a closer look. If you don't see anyone, listen. Zombies barely drag their feet, move slowly and are extremely clumsy. That's why they make a lot of noise. Done? Then boldly go forward in search of food.
P.S.
I advise you to leave your improvised shelter when there is almost no food left. But not so much that it’s completely ruined, but enough for two days. After all, if there is an undead walking outside the door, then it is better not to get into trouble, but to wait until it leaves.

5. Finding the necessary things.

First, you need to get a map of the city in which you live somewhere. It can be found at a newspaper stand (if not nearby, look for bookstores and libraries). IN major cities, the frequency of their meeting ranges from 1 to 4 stalls per quarter. Found. What if it's locked? You can use a master key. A universal item. In a panic, many people did not have time to take refuge in their apartments, which is why they are empty and locked. In the apartments you can find such things as: food, clothes, medicines, personal hygiene items (WELL DO NOT GROW UP WITH DIRT!) weapons (if you're lucky, then firearms),
watches, useful trinkets (such as a Swiss knife,
imported flashlights, flasks, radios, notebooks in which it is very convenient to write, for example, how much food is left, places where you have already rummaged, where you will go, how much food you can eat in a day, etc.). This all useful things without which nothing will work. But, be careful. You may stumble upon the owner of the apartment. (After all, many did not have time to take cover, but not all). Also, there is a chance to get caught by looters. They, like you, look for food, but are ready to kill for it. Most often, they are grouped and armed. You can have a gun with you and fight, or fight if you don’t have one. There is also an option for peaceful negotiations (Disperse, divide the loot in half, unite, etc.).
Let's get back to the master keys: where can I get them? You can wander around the city in search, but I will still do it myself.
Let's say that you already have them, then take a card and clean out the apartments. To begin with, I advise you to comb the house in which you live up and down (if you have a private house, then, you yourself understand, this makes no sense =) And in the village, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to find a master key. Therefore, a more rational way is to break out the glass. The number of zombies in villages is several times less than in cities, so you don’t have to be particularly afraid of them.) Also don’t forget about equipment (body armor - in a military unit or at a police post; high boots - shops for tourism, fishing/hunting, military commissar unit ; masks - sports store; respirator - household chemicals store, military commissar unit). It’s better to leave the city and hide in roadside cafes, picking up food (for those who live in the village, I advise you to move closer to the city).

6. Exit from the city.

Unfortunately, you will have to leave the city. In short dashes, hiding behind cars. You can walk on top, on the roofs of buildings. This option is only suitable for singles. If you have a family, it is better to hide in basements at night. There is an option with sewerage. The smell there is overwhelmingly human and zombies don’t go there very often, but without knowing the tunnels there, you can easily get lost. There are rats, mold, and damp in it, so the virus thrives there. If you are well equipped, find a sewer map and protect yourself from the virus, then you can try it. I agree, you can settle down well in the city, there is a lot of food, useful things, weapons... But the zombies there are also like dirt. Now I’ll explain: Gradually, you and your partner will clean out your quarter, then the next one, then again, and again... Maybe you’ll find survivors, and there will be additions to your team, or maybe not, who knows... In general, zombies, like No matter what, there’s no escape from them. In the suburbs, there are much fewer of them. And there are more people. If you know how to drive, then choose a car that is stronger and more maneuverable. Drive mainly on wide roads, they are easier to move on and maintain mobility.
In my opinion, the best transport in this situation is a bicycle. It is narrow, light, unpretentious, and you can carry something on it. On a bicycle, it is most convenient to weave between cars abandoned in the middle of the roads. It is common (so it is unlikely that someone will want to ride your bike), it is inconspicuous, easy to hide, and therefore less likely to be stolen by the same looters. It is easy to operate. Also, it can cover greater distances than on foot. You get tired less, move faster, and if the zombies are slow, (although this is unlikely, because the infection will spread more slowly, and it will be unprofitable for it. Of course, it is possible that the zombies will be slow, but there will be special mutants: Jumpers, Runners, Oruns, etc.) you can escape.

After you got out
city, we need to improve everyday life: buy seeds in advance, find a house not far from the city (so that you can arrange forays from time to time) and listen to the radio more often - one station should definitely work and transmit messages about evacuation places. Maybe you can get a diesel generator somewhere, and you will have electricity (But be careful - the generator makes a lot of noise, zombies can rush towards the sound, and then - good luck)
Place traps and barricades near the house (ditch, barbed wire, etc.) and that’s it. You were saved.

P.S.
Don't let your ally into the house until you know him better. Trust but check!

8. Some information.

The pathogen does not survive in low temperature conditions. Therefore, in winter and autumn, part of the virus will die and stop reproducing, and zombies will not go outside, but will hide in houses and basements.
On the one hand, this is an advantage: you can walk around the city without the fear that you will stumble upon an unpleasant encounter. On the other hand, you will need to spend the night on the street and be careful in buildings.

It should be noted that no one has canceled the mutation, so the virus may eventually become resistant to low temperatures.

9. What weapons should I take with me?

Take a knife for each team member. You can make a spear by tying a knife to a mop stick. It’s convenient because if you don’t let zombies get close to you, you deal damage to them. For firearms, I advise you to take:
a semi-automatic rifle (if you know how to use it), or a submachine gun. Advantage of this weapon the fact that it does not require skill, it can kill either one at a time or in a group. Take a large-caliber pistol with you, for example, Magnum 45. A large caliber has a knockback effect, if the first time you do not kill a zombie, hitting it in the head will throw it back and knock it to the ground, which will give you time to: 1. run away, 2. kill him with the second shot. Also, I advise you to take a crossbow, since it is silent, it will not attract zombies. Also bring some silencers, they will come in handy for obvious reasons. Regarding ammo: use a crossbow more often, because... its arrows can be reused, while its bullets are disposable. You can also make arrows from scrap materials, which gives you a HUGE advantage, because most likely, weapon magazines will be empty (you may find a pistol in some apartment, but it’s unlikely to be a Magnum.), and therefore, there will be no ammunition there. will. In general: pistols, rifles and other firearms should only be used as a last resort. Basically, you use a crossbow.

ATTENTION!!!
These instructions do NOT guarantee super duper safe survival. BUT, it will make it much easier.
The actual situation may not correspond to what is written above.

P.S. If it is not the Ebola virus, then the disease can be transmitted by airborne droplets, so buy gas masks. And there are more filters (although only a gas mask with a closed cycle, that is, with oxygen cylinders, can provide a 100% guarantee that you will not become infected).

One of the most popular doomsday scenarios today is the zombie apocalypse - an invasion of the dead whose goal is to eat or infect a living person.

In 2012, when many expected the death of civilization, the most popular and even expected scenario was zombies.

IN popular culture Zombies appeared in 1968 with the release of George Romero's film Night of the Living Dead. Since then, bloodthirsty corpses have captured the minds of many people. Thus, parades of the “rising dead” are held all over the world, and in the USA, even at the university level, games “people against zombies” are held.

The phenomenon of zombies at the beginning of this century interested academic science - it has been studied by cultural scientists, sociologists, philosophers and even political scientists since the beginning of this century. Physicists and mathematicians are calculating how quickly a zombie epidemic will destroy humanity.

One such study was recently published in the Journal of Physics Special Topics. Scientists have come to the conclusion that approximately the hundredth day after the start of the zombie apocalypse, the number of people will decrease to levels at which repopulation of the planet will be almost impossible.

How will different schools of international relations react to zombies?

Zombie Development

Zombies first appeared on screens in the 30s of the last century. The creators of the film “White Zombie”, the plot of which takes place in Haiti, were inspired by the magic of voodoo.

But Romero rethought this idea and moved the zombies to the mainland. In the film “Night of the Living Dead” he touches on the issues of racism. This painting achieved the status of a cult classic and remains one of the most important American films.

Since then, zombies have become what we know them today - aggressive living dead or people infected with an unknown virus, whose main goal is to eat or infect people who are still alive or uninfected.

It is noteworthy that Romero himself, who is responsible for the development of this genre, does not call his creatures zombies and uses them as a metaphor for complex socio-political problems.

Several key films were released in the 80s, after which zombies became firmly entrenched in popular culture. These are “Evil Dead”, “Day of the Dead”, “Return of the Living Dead”, “Re-Animator”.

At the end of the last century, the zombie phenomenon appeared in comics, in computer games and even music. Among the key games that also influenced the development of the genre were Resident Evil and Left 4 Dead.

The popular philosopher Slavoj Zizek's “Looking Awry” comes out, in which he tries to answer the question of why the dead come back. In his opinion, zombies will worry us until the victims of the Holocaust and the Gulag are integrated into historical memory.

The 2000s marked a new stage with the release of the film “28 Days Later” directed by Danny Boyle. Zombies have evolved - they have accelerated, and infection occurs instantly.

Also notable is the film “Shaun of the Living Dead” (Shaun of the Dead). This parody comedy is largely intertwined with the works of George Romero, in particular touching on the problem of consumer society and modern capitalism, which is raised in “Dawn of the Dead”.

After this, many philosophers and mathematicians paid attention to the “zombie problem”. American religious scholar Kim Paffenroth published the book “The Gospel of the Living Dead” at the university publishing house. How George Romero Sees Hell on Earth.”

There are five theories about the origin of zombies

  • a virus created by underground corporations, side effects from experiments of large companies;
  • military experiments to create biological weapons or animated soldiers;
  • get to Earth with the help of aliens;
  • mystical source of origin;
  • The most popular theory is that zombies are a given.

Man is a wolf to man, and a zombie is a zombie

Scientists' calculations

A Canadian scientist who models the spread of diseases such as HIV, malaria, West Nile virus and others, developed a model of the capture of humanity by the living dead and described it in the book “ Math modeling zombie".

The formula derived by the mathematician that describes the zombie apocalypse looks like this: (bN)(S/N)Z = bSZ, where N is the number of people in the population, S is the proportion of people susceptible to the virus, Z is the number of zombies and b is the infectivity zombie.

Scientists used these methods to model the spread of human papillomavirus, where additional variables reflect transmission of the virus through homosexual and heterosexual contacts.

100 days later

Let's take a closer look at the latest research by physicists led by James Moore.

The speed of development of the zombie apocalypse, according to him, depends on two main parameters - with what probability and how quickly the process of becoming a zombie occurs after infection and the life expectancy of the new creature.

Moore and his team decided to create a model based on these two indicators for the worst epidemic in human history - the outbreak of plague, the “Black Death” in Medieval Europe.

In their scenario, infection from a zombie bite occurred with a 90 percent probability, and the “individuals” themselves lived for about 20 days, dying of thirst and hunger. Total number The Earth was taken from actual modern figures - about 7.5 billion people.

The zombie spread model takes into account the existence of borders between countries and the fact that people are distributed extremely unevenly across the Earth.

For example, one of the rules in this model was that zombies could not cross the border unless they accumulated at least 10 thousand in the territory of the country where they originally “lived”. If zombies could not reach such a population, they would “die out” like local epidemics.

As these calculations showed, even just one infected person in a fairly densely populated area is, in principle, enough to cause a large-scale epidemic approximately 20 days after his infection.

In 100 days, according to researchers' calculations, there will be only 181 people and approximately 190 million zombies living on Earth.

This is below the level required to “restart” civilization and re-colonize the planet.

Accordingly, if the “zombie epidemic” lasts longer than 100 days, humanity will be doomed to extinction, the study authors conclude.

How will states behave?

Professor of international politics at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and author of the authoritative publication Foreign Policy, Daniel Drezner wrote the book “Theories of International Politics and Zombies.”

In it he spends thought experiment about how different schools of international relations will behave.

“An analysis of the cultural zeitgeist is striking how an unnatural problem has become one of the most alarming concerns in international relations and one of the most natural fears of humanity. Today humanity really faces serious problem– the zombie problem,” Drezner begins his text.

Realism

There are many varieties of realism, but all realists start from a common premise: anarchy is the greatest threat to world politics. Anarchy does not necessarily imply chaos or disorder, but rather the absence of centralized legitimate authority.

In a world of anarchy the only currency What has value is power, that is, the material ability to block pressure or violence while remaining able to influence others.

The global anarchic structure also does not allow the authorities to fully trust each other and forces states to be guided only by their own interests.

In short, realism has a rather dark view of the world. In other words, he's completely comfortable in the zombie universe.

How could the emergence of zombies affect world politics? The realistic answer is surprisingly simple: international relationships almost no harm. While some will see the zombie outbreak as a new existential threat, realists will not be surprised by the claim that the arrival of zombies will lead to radical changes in human behavior.

Realists also predict balance-of-power politics. So will the spectrum of the living dead create an unstable coalition of people against zombies? This possibility cannot be excluded. If zombies emerge from central Eurasia, for example, their ability to spread rapidly could trigger the emergence of an alliance formed to stop the zombie hordes from conquering the continent.

Still from the film Train to Busan

But it may also be that states will refrain from active position towards zombies in the hope that other countries will do the dirty work of banding together to suppress the walking dead.

In addition, states can take advantage of this threat to seize new territory, destroy Irredinista movements, settle old scores, or suppress long-standing rivals.

“China could use the zombie threat to justify occupying Taiwan. Russia may use the threat to justify its intervention in Near Abroad. The US will also be vulnerable to the temptation to use the zombie threat as a strategic opportunity,” the author writes.

But in the end, realists, especially American ones, will undoubtedly remember the warning of US President John Quincy Adams, who called not to go beyond borders “in search of monsters to destroy.”

Liberalism

As with realism, liberalism also has many varieties. However, liberals believe that in a world of anarchy, cooperation is still possible. Liberals view world politics as a non-zero-sum game.

Cooperation—be it international trade, nuclear nonproliferation, disease prevention—can yield a global harvest of public goods on a large scale.

Key players in global politics have an incentive to realize the benefits of long-term cooperative cooperation and avoid the costs that would follow mutual defections.

At first glance, the liberal paradigm seems rather incompatible with the zombie canon, which leans more toward a living-dead apocalypse.

Indeed, the tragedy of liberalism in a zombie universe is that some of its core principles are likely to fuel the rise of zombieism. For example, open borders will likely facilitate the spread of both the living dead and infected human vectors across those borders.

If we look at the situation from the other side, it turns out that the liberal paradigm offers some analytical zest. Romantic zombie comedies contain both explicit and implicit elements of liberalism.

At the climax of Shaun of the Dead main character unites friends, pronouncing a paean to liberalism: “As Bertrand Russell once said, “The only thing that will save humanity is cooperation.” I think we can verify this today.”

Still from the film Shaun of the Dead

What will liberals do after the zombie invasion? Provided the initial wave of zombies does not completely wipe out governments, liberals will suggest that an international anti-zombie regime could make a significant difference to the problem.

Given the significant public benefit of wiping out the living dead from the face of the earth, a thoughtful policy of coordination is a likely response.

The liberal model will predict an outcome that will not be perfect and will be subject to political criticism over time - much like the EU. That is, the system for preventing a total zombie apocalypse can also work quite well. There will undoubtedly be outbreaks of zombie activity.

Quasi-stationary anti-zombie humanitarian missions - perhaps under UN auspices - are likely to be deployed to failed states. Liberals acknowledge that wiping out the flesh-eating ghouls forever is unlikely. However, compressing the zombie problem into easily manageable threats is entirely possible. Most countries will kill most zombies most time.

Neoconservatism

Neoconservative reaction

The policy for the rise of the living dead will be simple and clear. To paraphrase famous saying Robert Kagan, then we can say: people are from Earth, and zombies are from hell. Neither trying to adapt nor trying to understand them will help.

“Neocons,” on the contrary, will advocate an aggressive and military response to maintain human hegemony. Instead of waiting for the zombies to come to them, they will use the attack policy, which involves fighting the living dead. A preemptive strike against zombies will certainly turn into a war against evil itself.

It is neoconservatism that makes this doctrine comparable to extant work on how best to respond to the zombie threat.

In fact, modeling conducted by researchers at Carleton University in Canada and the University of Ottawa suggests this: “An outbreak of zombies infecting humans could be catastrophic unless extremely aggressive tactics are used against the living dead... A zombie outbreak would likely result in destruction civilization, if it is not dealt with immediately.”

Still from the film World War Z

However, other elements of neoconservatism may undermine the long-term viability of the original political advocacy statements. For example, neoconservatives often recognize that all rivals are part of a single axis or alliance of evil enemies.

Of course, this assumption works if it is tied to zombies, but the neocons are unlikely to stop there. They will inevitably lump the corpses together with other threats to humanity, as part of a larger World War III against authoritarian despots and zombies—the “Evil Dead Axis.”