The development of new technologies, the availability of information and the quick reaction of the media to any events in the world - all this leads to the fact that the excitement around the next possible “end of the world” is becoming stronger.
The YUGA.ru portal publishes the 10 most popular variants of Apocalypse scenarios.
1. Aliens
Aliens abduct, capture, and massacre the Earth's population in most science fiction films and books. However, recently this topic has ceased to be the domain of exclusively ufologists, becoming the subject of discussion by serious scientists.
So, at the beginning of 2010 in the British Royal Society Hearings were held on the topic: “The discovery of extraterrestrial life and its implications for science and society,” which was attended by leading experts in the field of astronomy, astrophysics and biology, as well as specialists from NASA, the European Space Agency and the United Nations Agency for Outer Space Affairs.
One of the topics for discussion was appearance potentially existing inhabitants of other worlds and their potential danger to earthlings, and in the speeches of many scientists there was a pessimistic view of the consequences of possible contact with other civilizations.
Then, the famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking said that humanity should be wary of colonization by aliens. According to one of the best minds of our time, aliens can simply use the Earth as a source of resources in order to capture it in passing and move on.
“If inhabitants of other worlds come to us, the consequences may be the same as for the Indians after Columbus arrived in America, that is, not the best,”- Hawking emphasized.
At the same time, methods for searching for extraterrestrial intelligence continue to improve. For example, Frank Donald Drake, Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, founded the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) organization half a century ago, which searches for alien activity, and proposed using the so-called. Einstein lenses.
And physics and astronomy specialist Marcelo Glaser from Dartmouth College improved the so-called. The Drake equation is a formula that can be used to calculate the number of intelligent civilizations with which earthlings could come into contact.
In addition, Bulgarian scientists from the Space Research Institute stated in January 2010 that they had made contact with aliens and learned from them what exactly would happen to humanity in 2012. And representatives of the Klingon-Terran Research Ensemble not only staged the first opera in the Klingon language, but also directly invited representatives of this alien civilization humanoid warriors from the Star Trek universe to take part in the premiere in person.
2. Black holes
There is widespread belief that the world's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, could trigger the formation of black holes that will engulf our planet.
One of the main tasks of the LHC is the search for the Higgs boson - a theoretically predicted elementary particle, which is responsible for mass. It is believed that running the collider at full power required for this could lead to global catastrophe. According to pessimists, artificially producing a particle that creates the entire mass of the Universe could cause chain reaction involuntary growth of mass with the appearance of a black hole
In this regard, many serious scientists are confident that initial stage They tried to interfere with the work of the LHC from the future or another dimension in order to prevent the emergence of a black hole or the appearance of a portal to a parallel universe.
Earlier, the head of CERN, Ralf-Dieter Heuer, promised that the end of the world expected by many would not happen, because... The collider is safe "within three dimensions."
“We can talk about micro-“black holes”, which, supposedly, if created, would decay like any normal particles. Can we create such holes at the LHC? Yes. But if we live in more than three-dimensional dimension. I can't rule it out: an ant that crawls on a table sees only two dimensions."- he explained.
And according to one of the latest astrophysics hypotheses, put forward in April 2010, our Universe itself is located inside a black hole, which is located in another world, different from ours.
3. Catastrophe of extraterrestrial origin
Catastrophic consequences from the fall of comets or asteroids are traditionally considered to be the cause of mass death biological species on the ground.
In particular, a falling meteorite is also recognized as being responsible for the death of dinosaurs. It was established that its actual dimensions were much smaller than previously thought. Based on lung content isotope osmium in oceanic sedimentary rocks, experts from Harvard University found that the object that destroyed the dinosaurs was from 4.1 to 4.4 km in diameter. Previously, the size of the cosmic body that fell to Earth about 65 million years ago was estimated at 15-19 km in diameter.
And the fall of the Tunguska meteorite, which knocked down more than 2 thousand square kilometers of forests with a blast wave, is also considered one of the causes of global warming.
According to scientists' calculations, the closest collision of our planet with large asteroid may occur in 18 years, on April 13, 2029. If asteroid 2004 MN4, which has a diameter of about 396 meters, collides with the Earth's surface, tsunamis could form in the oceans and significant destruction on land. According to scientists, the energy released in the event of a collision of this asteroid with the Earth will be equal to 1600 megatons.
The potentially hazardous asteroid was given a score of 2 out of 10 on the Turin Impact Hazard Scale, which astronomers use to assess the threat to Earth from an asteroid or comet nucleus. Previously, none of the open small celestial bodies did not receive a score higher than one point on this scale.
However, the likelihood of this event is estimated to be 1 in 300 and can be reduced after further study of the asteroid's trajectory. In addition, experts believe that by this time an early warning system for possible space threats will have been developed.
4. Gamma-ray burst
Gamma-ray bursts are large-scale cosmic bursts of explosive energy that are observed in distant galaxies. Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful sources energy in the Universe and are capable of emitting as much energy in seconds as our Sun will release over 10 billion years.
It is assumed that a directed gamma-ray burst towards our planet could lead to a mass extinction on Earth. Thus, the famous theoretical physicist and popularizer of science Michio Kaku writes in his book “Physics of the Impossible”:
“If the flow of gamma radiation were directed directly at Earth, and the source itself were in our galactic neighborhood (at a distance of several hundred light years from Earth), its power would be enough to completely destroy life on our planet.
At first electromagnetic pulse, created by X-rays from a gamma-ray burst source, would destroy all electronic equipment on Earth. Powerful beam X-ray and gamma radiation would cause earth's atmosphere irreparable harm by destroying the protective ozone layer. The gamma ray stream would then heat up the Earth's surface, causing enormous firestorms that would eventually engulf the entire planet. Maybe the source of gamma-ray bursts would not have blown up the planet, as shown in the film " star Wars", but would probably have destroyed all life on it, leaving behind a charred desert."
5. Diseases
Infectious diseases have threatened humanity throughout its existence. The plague destroyed almost half the population of those countries in which outbreaks of epidemics occurred. By the beginning of the 21st century, the prevalence of HIV infection had become a pandemic. Every time a person tries to enter an alien environment, he exposes himself to a huge number of dangerous microorganisms: SARS, bird and swine flu, Ebola fever.
The greatest concern among scientists is the emergence of superbugs - strains with multi-drug resistance that cannot be treated with traditional drugs. Some experts believe that one of the driving forces The origin of these strains is precisely the use of antibiotics.
In addition to the growing number of infectious diseases, the incidence of hereditary pathologies. Success modern medicine and lack natural selection lead to the fact that people with weak genes and congenital deformities survive and pass on these genes. Ultimately, the degeneration of the gene pool may lead to humanity being unable to withstand even the mildest diseases.
Another factor that could lead to extinction human race, is the problem of infertility. Thus, a new study conducted by specialists from the University of Turku in Finland showed that the quality and quantity of sperm in men has deteriorated significantly over the past decade. Exposure to industrial chemicals contributes to this, as does excessive coffee consumption, obesity, and frequent use of mobile phones and laptops.
6. Third World War using the latest weapons
Nuclear war, which would lead to a nuclear winter and global radioactive contamination, was considered one of the possible outcomes cold war in the second half of the 20th century.
In case of use nuclear weapons in World War III, most of humanity could be destroyed. But even a limited nuclear conflict will catastrophically change the climate and environmental conditions and will affect the whole Earth. Such hypothetical changes are called nuclear autumn.
Experts believe that in the event of a limited nuclear war, it is possible that acid rain, soil contamination, local epidemics of radiation sickness and mass death many representatives of the plant and animal world.
Another option could be a world war using biological weapons. Lethal effect Such weapons are based, first of all, on the use of the properties of pathogenic strains of microorganisms and their metabolic products. Besides the destruction of humanity, biological weapons may have an unpredictable impact on the state of the biosphere.
7. Robots
Development information technologies and the successes of modern robotics raise fears that sooner or later robots may conquer the earth.
Thus, an employee of the University of California, professor of computer science Michael Dyer believes that in a few hundred years there may be no living people left on earth.
Dyer has identified four scenarios that could lead to robots replacing humans or other living beings, and believes this is the fate that awaits most living beings in space exploration.
First, the dominance of robots over people can arise through dependence on technology. Our ever-increasing dependence on machines to do our jobs may one day reach a crisis point when robots turn against their creators.
The second option assumes that robots will replace people during an arms race.
The third way could be humanity’s natural desire for immortality, as a result of which consciousness will be transferred to electronic media. One of the most famous futurologists in the world, Raymond Kurzweil, is confident that it will be possible to completely copy the brain of any person in 20 years.
According to the scientist, by 2014 the power of a supercomputer will be equal to the power human brain, and in the 2020s, nanobots will begin to be widely used in medicine, which will be able to deliver nutrition to the cells of the body, remove waste, and also scan the nervous system, which will allow us to fully understand the nuances of the brain. By 2029, a computer will be able to fully imitate the functioning of the brain, including passing the Turing test, after which by 2045 the technological singularity will occur.
The fourth path of development, according to Dyer’s assumptions, is associated specifically with travel to interstellar space. Travel creates serious problems for our body. A synthetic organisms can withstand a wide range of conditions, both during flight and on other planets. If the new planet turns out to be inhospitable for biological objects, then this will not matter to robots
Guided by these considerations, Dyer came to the conclusion that if aliens ever arrive on our planet, then most likely they will also be artificial forms life.
8. Sun
The sun is extremely important to life on Earth, but it can also become a threat.
Processes occurring in the sun have Negative influence on technologies on which humanity increasingly depends. So, solar flares capable of disrupting radio communications and power supplies and causing fires. Even minor ones solar storms are having a devastating impact, damaging electrical and communications infrastructure and causing chaos around the world.
One of possible options the end of the world is considered to occur extremely powerful flash, which will suddenly hit the Earth. Scientists also do not exclude the hypothetical possibility reverse option. Experts believe that some natural disasters may restrict access sunlight on our planet, leading to the cooling of the Earth.
9. Supervolcanoes
Supervolcanoes are volcanoes that produce extremely powerful and voluminous eruptions. Such eruptions can cause the landscape and climate on our planet to radically change. The result of these changes will be catastrophic consequences, such as a volcanic winter.
By analogy with nuclear winter, volcanic occurs as a result of severe pollution of the atmosphere with ash and combustion products as a result of a volcanic eruption. As a result of this pollution, the sun's radiation is filtered much more than usual, resulting in global cooling and mass extinction of species. According to one theory, the eruption of the Toba volcano 74 thousand years ago was the reason for the decline in the global population of ancestors modern people up to approximately 10 thousand individuals.
In modern times, the greatest danger of a volcanic winter comes from the Yellowstone supervolcano in Yellowstone national park in USA. In a very real scenario, the eruption of this volcano could cause millions or even billions of people to become victims around the world.
The danger of supervolcanoes is that, unlike other threats to humanity, such as cosmic impacts or nuclear attack, there is no strategy to prevent a super eruption.
10. Zombie
The zombie apocalypse represents one of the most popular options for the end of the world in modern culture. The problem of survival in a zombie virus pandemic, when uninfected people remain in the minority, is dedicated to a large number of books and science fiction films.
However, recently, scientists have somewhat reduced the skepticism associated with this topic. Thus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considered that a zombie attack is a universal example of an emergency situation. Based on these considerations, experts have published the first official instructions in the event of a massive zombie invasion. According to the CDC, a person who can survive a zombie apocalypse can cope with any danger.
Italian physicists have also developed the most effective behavior for salvation during a zombie invasion. And Canadian mathematicians have calculated the optimal strategy for combating the invasion of the living dead. According to scientists from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, zombies can take over a city of half a million people in just three days. At the same time, the most effective option is the total destruction of all carriers of the zombie virus.
In addition, the popular American magazine Wired, which writes about new science, presented the top 10 reasons why being a zombie is not very convenient from a practical point of view.
And in 2003 American writer Mel Brooks (writer of the series "Batman Beyond" and "Justice League") wrote the best-selling book "The Zombie Survival Guide", in which he described the living dead as real. natural phenomenon, which people have encountered since ancient times.
An extremely popular scenario - the zombie apocalypse. Moreover, its popularity is based not on some logical justification, but on banal human fears. , people are afraid of other people, people are afraid of chaos.
A the zombie apocalypse- this is when people en masse turn into actively moving dead people and create chaos.
But can this happen in reality? Let's try to figure it out.
Unknown viruses
Neurotoxins
Classic reason zombie apocalypse - neurotoxin, practically eliminating higher nervous activity. At the same time, the main functions of the central brain and brainstem continue to work. Even some subcortical centers are functioning. Considering the level of development of biochemistry, this can theoretically be created. Based on tetradotoxin, for example. This, let me remind you, is a poison from puffer fish that effectively blocks transmission nerve impulses, therefore, in small doses it can be used as an anesthetic, and in large doses it causes paralysis of the respiratory centers. And the first mentions of classic zombies from the traditions of Haitian voodoo sorcerers speak of the use of various neurotoxins, first to put a person into a state clinical death, and then in order to completely control his behavior. Fiction? Maybe. But on empty space such legends are not born, and I personally really don’t want someone to raise me after death and force me to work...
Nanorobots
Nanotechnology is not just bullshit that can be used to cover up the cutting of billions. This is a really working thing, extremely useful and, at the same time, extremely dangerous. Scientists have already found that miniature self-replicating robots may well exist in the human body even after his physical death. And not only to live and reproduce, but also to forcibly form neural connections, and therefore control the body. In theory. This process is not fast, so the object will be very reminiscent of a classic zombie. Unless, of course, nanorobots can form "hive mind" and coordinate your interaction instantly. In this case, humanity will come to an end in any case. Fortunately, on modern level technology development, nanotoids are not capable of uncontrolled self-reproduction. Bye.
Unknown reason
The worst thing is when cause of zombie apocalypse remains beyond human understanding. Seriously, you can come up with some means of protection and counteraction against everything else, but what if the dead rise for unknown reasons? In the Abrahamic religions' version of the doomsday scenario, this is exactly what will happen. And it's really scary. Even a single such resurrection gave rise to a huge split among ancient people, the echoes of which still claim tens of thousands of lives. Should this be considered a miracle or not? Don't know. But I can imagine the horror of the ancients, who, having moved away the stone closing the tomb, saw something moving towards them. Get on your knees and pray? Hardly. Almost everyone had weapons then, and there was no reverence for human life. So they suppressed the zombie apocalypse in the bud, and then weaved stories about "Ascension".
We live in a changing and unpredictable world. Humanity can expect any turn ahead. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare for the most incredible events. For example, do you know how to survive a zombie apocalypse? Have no idea what this is? Then you are lucky. Most of The population has already heard about possible infections that turn ordinary people into mindless evil spirits who have only one passion - to infect everyone around them. Let's try to figure out how to survive a zombie apocalypse, and whether, in principle, such a possibility exists.
What event are we talking about?
Let’s say right away that no one has scientifically described the situation when the majority of the planet’s population falls under the influence of a now unknown virus. Such horrors are found in films and books. But a zombie apocalypse in real life is no less likely than a nuclear war. It can happen even more suddenly, without preparation. For example, the reason people turn into zombies will be one of the viruses unknown to science, resting in the thickness of glaciers. And the media regularly report that they are melting at an ever-increasing speed, and experts do not predict that this process will stop. That is, to assume the onset of such a phenomenon as a zombie apocalypse in real life means to prepare for danger. And the one who is warned has a greater chance of remaining in a normal state.
Who is a zombie?
Science is not able to reliably answer such a question. Probably, similar developments are underway, but hidden, without disclosing the results to the public. We will use the information that is used in Hollywood. Zombies are people who have been attacked by viruses, essentially the living dead. Their main characteristics:
- they feed on human flesh, but are not attracted to cakes;
- move slowly but persistently;
- prefer to hunt in large groups;
- die due to physical destruction of the brain;
- react to sounds, light, smell.
What are zombies afraid of?
Let's reason. We proceed from the fact that zombies are bodies that have retained the ability to somehow move in search of food, but have lost all other human qualities, including feelings. Fear is one of them. He, as they found out back in Ancient Greece, is one of the basic instincts of a living being. That is, there is nothing to find out here for a long time - zombies have no emotions, these creatures are a priori incapable of being afraid. It is impossible to influence them through threats. We'll have to fight back. You can destroy zombies the only way- by destroying the brain commanding the dead body. That is, you need to think in advance about having a weapon against zombies. There are many options here, especially since humanity has spent its entire history improving methods of killing. But more on that later.
How to survive a zombie apocalypse?
Despite the absence reliable information about such a catastrophe, instructions have long been written. Enthusiasts are successfully spreading tips on how to survive a zombie apocalypse. In general, the methods can be divided into several options, which should be considered separately. There are tips for married and single citizens, those whom the disaster found in an apartment, house or at work. It is clear that the rescue algorithm depends on the starting conditions. For example, if a sudden epidemic occurs while you are traveling in a crowded subway car or bus, there is simply no escape. People will instantly transmit the virus along the chain through their breath or saliva; the first infected will bite the remaining ones. As a result, the gang of the dead is ready. Weapons against zombies are useless in this situation; they will crush you in mass. In fact, when organizing a rescue, it is important to avoid contact with the infected for as long as possible, to hide, forgetting about courage. There is no place for heroism here. Only the owner can kill everyone atomic weapons, since more than seven billion people already live on the planet. In the event of an epidemic, most of them will join the hordes of the living dead.
Single Rescue Plan
Let's start looking at recommendations on how to survive a zombie apocalypse with non-family citizens, gender doesn't matter. First of all, it is necessary to barricade the windows and doors, that is, isolate yourself from outside world. Then start counting and sorting your inventory. A real zombie apocalypse in the city is Armageddon, especially at the very beginning. The dead will scour in search of prey. They will organize in packs and attack anything moving, so it is better to wait it out. It will last, according to calculations, about two weeks. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately stock up on water and food. You should only take products that are not subject to rapid spoilage: canned food, biscuits, and the like. Don’t waste your money on cereals; they won’t be possible to cook in the city. Employees of energy supply enterprises will be eaten very quickly.
How to choose clothes
An important point in the plan called “how to survive a zombie apocalypse” is the ability to equip yourself accordingly. You should understand that the world has completely changed, which means there is no time for fashion. Clothing and shoes should be durable, as comfortable and wearable as possible. Sports style is exactly what you need. Also prepare a backpack or bag that can accommodate a knife, food, water, ropes, matches or lighter, flashlight, gas mask, medicine, and a change of clothes. It's not worth taking a lot. Throw away everything you don't need. Instead of documents, put a master key or screwdriver. In general, you need to focus on the tools, they will be very useful when the time will come hit the road. But in the city there is no chance to survive.
Plan for family citizens
Let's not repeat ourselves. We will describe only the behavioral features. Children must be instructed and equipped especially carefully. They can become easy prey for even a lone zombie. These creatures smell the smell, therefore, it is necessary to get rid of it. Whatever you have on hand will do: cologne, perfume, food flavorings, gasoline or kerosene. Be sure to give your children a good watering with any of the above liquids when you head out. It is better to place babies in a backpack to make it easier to move. You will have to travel in dashes from one apartment to another, stopping to rest. Each room should be well barricaded and all safety measures should be taken.
Where to get food, water and weapons?
One of the most important factors for survival in such a situation is the availability of protective equipment. You will have to look for firearms in specialized stores or other people's apartments. This is no longer looting, but a necessary measure. Try to act carefully so as not to attract the dead with noise. Don't go hunting alone. It is advisable to immediately gather in groups, this makes it easier to defend. You shouldn't go to huge supermarkets immediately after the start of the apocalypse. There are many unfortunate people caught by the epidemic while shopping. They will leave the buildings only after certain time. Postpone the hunt for a week or two. It is better to look for food in small shops closer to the outskirts. But they will quickly become empty, and then you will go to hypermarkets. The real zombies are looking for people and animals, so they will leave the city when there are no residents left. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to wait a month in an apartment, then you should take advantage of it.
Zombie Encounter
No one can completely bypass the dead. Therefore, you need to know in advance how to deal with zombies. The technique is simple: destroy their brain. The first time will be scary, since creatures do not immediately lose their human appearance. But the choice is small: either they will join the hordes of the living dead, or they will kill. Any weapon from a knife to a rifle is suitable for destroying the brain. You should hit him directly in the head. It is better to strengthen melee weapons with a lever. It is recommended to make a spear by tying a good knife to a mop handle. This way you will protect yourself from contact with zombie secretions, which may be infectious. It's also good to look for a crossbow. Learn to shoot as the battle progresses. And it is convenient because the ammunition can be reused. By the way, don't forget to pick up thick rubber gloves. This tool is useful for removing arrows from zombie heads. Get a heavy ax at the hardware store. It is perfect for fighting the dead.
Where to go?
Nothing is known yet about how to defeat the zombies. People will have to figure this out as the situation unfolds. It is important to get out of megacities and maintain the population. To do this you will need transport, preferably a car. You can load a lot of useful tools into it that will later save your life. You should move to the distant suburbs. Choose any empty house protected by a moat or strong fence. All this will have to be strengthened. Use rebar and other iron pins by sticking them into the ground. The most real zombies do not shine with intelligence, and accordingly, they will bump into obstacles and delay the entire flock. Make guy ropes out of cans and ropes. They will notify you of danger in time. Housing should be selected near a water source, but not far from the city. It will take a long time to grow food, so sometimes you will have to go to the stores to buy food.
The best places to organize a base
The time of the apocalypse will level everyone, sweep away conventions between the living. The only goal will remain - not to join the gangs of the dead. Therefore, it will be possible to apply for any unoccupied premises. The best ones for survival are likely to be:
- government out-of-town bases;
- military units;
- prisons;
- floating, protected objects.
You need to team up with other people and look for a similar room. It is much easier to organize defense there. While all the gasoline has not yet been used up, it is recommended to find an excavator and enclose the building with a wide moat. It will be great if you can fill it with water from a river or lake.
Distant plans
As a rule, in times of crisis, people are concerned only with survival. Those who succeed will face another problem: what to do in the new, scary world. They will have to cleanse the planet and try not to destroy the human race. And this will require a lot of effort and labor. Gradually, supplies will run out, even if there are few survivors. In addition, part of the population will begin to loot, trying to satisfy their own desires, without caring about the future. You'll have to fight off dead and living bandits. This requires a lot of weapons. Your community will have to constantly replenish its arsenal. In addition, it is necessary to collect more normal people. It's easier to hold the defense together. But accepting everyone you meet into the community is dangerous. People will have to be checked. After a year, if you manage to preserve the community, you will have to learn how to conduct subsistence farming, grow food in the garden beds.
This is how it begins new era humanity if the apocalypse does happen. And it will be completely different, not the same as it is today. Most of the technology will be quickly and irretrievably lost within the lifetime of the first generation of survivors. How society will develop is unknown. Perhaps zombies will be defeated, and people will discover other, more advanced abilities, if they manage to maintain the population, of course.
Zombies are an eternal crowd favorite. Otherwise, why would science fiction writers and Hollywood screenwriters return to them over and over again? And now scientists are also interested in the living dead...
MODELS OF VIRAL APOCALYPSE
What happens if the causative agent of some dangerous disease breaks free? How long will humanity have to save itself? And is salvation possible? These questions were asked by a group of scientists led by Russian biologists and virologists. And in order to answer them more fully and clearly, scientists took the “common zombie” as the pathogen, keeping in mind its exceptional infective ability. A zombie outbreak is very similar to the spread real diseases, and this made them a convenient object for research by epidemiologists.
By the way, the results obtained have already been useful to virologists and doctors forced to confront real epidemics: Ebola fever and bird flu.
Further - more: the model of Russian virologists formed the basis for the work of Canadian researchers from the University of Ottawa. They mathematically modeled the spread of diseases such as HIV, malaria, and West Nile virus, and at the same time gave their version of the capture of humanity by the living dead. The results of their work were presented in scientific work « Math modeling zombie".
CRITICAL DEMOGRAPHY
Usually in horror novels and disaster films, a person quickly turns into a zombie after being bitten. So, in World War Z, seconds count literally. But symptoms of real diseases, such as HIV, may appear not even a month, but many years after infection. In addition, during a zombie invasion, according to horror films, people attack the living dead. This is fundamentally contrary to the course of a normal pandemic, because people are not trying to destroy carriers of the infection. However, the Canadian zombie model takes all these nuances into account. The researchers applied the results obtained in a model of the spread of the human papillomavirus and even achieved some success.
During the research, the Canadians also confirmed the main forecast of the Russians, according to which on a certain day after the start of the zombie apocalypse and the rapid spread of the undead across the Earth, the number of people will decrease to a critical demographic level. After this, the repopulation of the planet by humanity will become very problematic.
POINT OF NO RETURN: CALCULATIONS
But how many days will humanity be given? Several mathematicians and physicists from the British University of Leicester, having familiarized themselves with the work of Russian and Canadian scientists, decided to calculate the value critical point human population, which will be followed by the death of our civilization. They compared the results obtained with the consequences of outbreaks of incurable and deadly diseases, such as Ebola fever.
British scientists called their computer project “The Perfect Zombie Pandemic.” According to their scenario, the speed of development of the zombie apocalypse is determined by two main parameters: the speed of the process of “zombification” of a living person and the duration of existence of the walking dead.
Writers and screenwriters who describe this process paint completely different pictures. If you believe one, then infection occurs virtually instantly and is guaranteed, but the zombies themselves live no more than a month. Others only devote several hours to the infection process, and later life zombies are measured in decades - and without any food.
Calculating the consequences of such “zombie pandemic outbreaks,” British experts decided to create their own scenario for catastrophic events. To do this, they turned to historical data about the terrible epidemic in human history - an outbreak of plague in the 14th century. This terrible pandemic, called the Black Death, has devastated medieval Europe and weakened its southeastern region so much that a Turkish invasion became possible.
In the modern zombie scenario, infection through “blood contact” with a virus carrier occurs with a 90% probability, and the walking dead themselves lead an active lifestyle for no more than three weeks and “crumble into dust” after using up all internal resources.
HUNDRED DAYS OF EARTHLANDS
For their calculations, scientists took the total population of the Earth from real demographic indicators- about 7.5 billion people. In addition, the zombie model created by the British took into account the existence of borders between countries and extremely uneven population densities. For example, zombies received the right to cross the border of the country where they became infected only after reaching a population of at least 10 thousand individuals. If zombies could not reach such a population, they simply died out, as happens in local epidemics.
As these calculations showed, in a densely populated area, one infected person is enough for a large-scale epidemic to break out. This will happen already on the 20th day after the first infection. And in 100 days, only 181 people and approximately 190 million zombies will live on Earth.
Even if people flee areas affected by a zombie pandemic, the infection will still win. The most optimistic scenario on the 100th day leaves only 273 people alive and approximately a million undead.
In both cases, the number of survivors will be much lower than the level necessary to repeat human history and new colonization planets.
As an example, an epidemic in New York was simulated. Central regions they fell in one day, but the suburbs had at least a month to prepare for the invasion of the dead. In any case, if the ideal zombie pandemic lasts longer than 100 days, humanity will be doomed to extinction...
For the same reason safe place When zombies attack, mountains and hilly areas where population density is minimal. Therefore, the optimal tactic for survivors is this: go to the mountains at the first reports of the appearance of the living dead.
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Behind past years, the theme of zombies has developed and taken a strong position in our culture. Especially in last years The idea of a zombie apocalypse is popular, in which the remnants of humanity fight for their place on the planet along with the walking dead, as in the TV series “The Walking Dead”.
Most often, the appearance of the first revived corpse is not mentioned anywhere and the mystery of how it all began is not revealed. In some disaster movie scenarios, the beginning of the apocalypse is an infectious disease.
The mutation of an organism occurs due to a pathogen being transmitted from one person to another by a virus (as in "Resident Evil") through a bite.
Often, the scenario for the beginning of the “end of the world” is an accident at secret facility or in secret scientific laboratory, from where a deadly virus breaks out, turning people into eternally hungry cannibal dead (“28 days later”).
The appearance of aggressive zombies is also associated with magic, especially voodoo magic, due to which the zombified person obeys someone’s orders (as in the 1932 film “White Zombie”), or a demon is infused into a dead body or evil spirit. Also, one of the options for the appearance of zombies is recognized as “God’s punishment”, a kind of brain burning option, where there is only one goal left - to eat.
It has long been proven that they cannot exist in the real world, even despite the fascinating idea of a zombie apocalypse; extreme survival in terrible conditions of fighting with the supernatural strong enemy, practically indestructible.
Despite the romanticism of this combination of circumstances - one on one with one’s own “I” and with small group people (if you're lucky) where you can find a connection with another person. Because now it’s harder for people to find mutual language, get out of the Internet space and establish contact with someone live, it’s another matter when everyone has no choice - romance!
There are several good reasons why zombies cannot exist and be part of real world basically. And only the power of magic can explain the existence of zombies.
1) Firstly, often in films, literature and games, the zombie's brain is completely dead, controlled solely by the reflex of endless hunger. But the body cannot function without the brain! A dead body retains only some functions after death:
- hair and nails continue to grow;
- the rate of skin cell growth gradually decreases and stops with loss of blood circulation within a few days;
- urination may occur due to muscle weakness;
- after the heartbeat stops, the blood collects in the lowest place, depending on the position in which the person died, this can cause an erection, and during post-mortem relaxation and muscle contraction, ejaculation can occur;
- defecation occurs due to weakening of muscles and due to gases released in the body;
- reflexive muscle movement associated with areas of the nervous system that can still remain active for some time after death and send electrical signals to the muscles; in this case, strong movement is impossible, minor muscle spasms are observed;
- during decay and the activity of bacteria destroying the body, the amount of mucus and gases inside increases, and in combination with post-mortem rigor can sometimes lead to unpleasant and eerie sounds emanating from the dead body, as if the dead man is “speaking”;
- gases accumulating inside the body can also cause an unpleasant and extremely rare phenomenon of childbirth in a female corpse. This happens if a woman was pregnant during her lifetime, but after death the child’s corpse was not removed from the mother’s womb and was buried with her (they may not have known about the pregnancy, an autopsy was not performed, or due to religious beliefs they were buried together). Gases accumulated in a decomposing corpse lead to post-mortem expulsion of the fetus;
- Brain activity persists after the heart stops, the duration of brain activity can range from a few minutes to several days with the use of certain drugs and under certain circumstances, although if the heart begins to beat again, most often the brain will suffer irreparable damage due to oxygen deprivation.
As you can see, human body unable to continue to function for too long after the fact of death, and the extent of its functionality is limited to a few reflexes and minimal functions body.
2) Secondly, a decaying corpse, even if infected with a super virus, cannot move, walk, much less run, even if some part of the brain is alive and continues to send impulses to the limbs, because the muscle cells are dead and the impulses do not reach the neurons to muscle fibers, which in turn cannot contract.
In rotting meat, the cells are dead, and any movement requires impulses. Even if the dead person is new and fresh, impulses to his cells will arrive more and more slowly, because without blood supply the vital activity of the cells is impossible, therefore, they will die and decomposition will begin.
3) The heart does not work - the tissues are not supplied with oxygen, important events do not occur. biochemical processes, responsible for the production of energy with which the limbs move. In a body in which the heart and, accordingly, the lungs do not work, long-term aerobic processes, that is, movement, cannot occur, because there is no blood circulation and there is no oxygen supply.
Twitching of the arm is a muscle spasm, standing on two legs and moving is a complex and energy-consuming process that, firstly, requires impulses from the brain, and, secondly, energy for movement.At least in connection with these 3 important aspects, humanity will never experience the zombie apocalypse in all its glory. You don’t have to loot the ruins of your city, fighting off aggressive walking corpses with a machete or shotgun in your hands. Only magic capable of moving even dead cells and a non-functioning brain.
The closest movie about a zombie apocalypse to reality is 28 Weeks Later. In the film, the virus that turns people into "zombies" was called the rage virus and did not kill its carriers, depriving them of control over their actions and giving them super strength, which is very similar to the rabies virus.
Also transmitted through saliva or a bite, the virus infected the brain and spread along nerve pathways. Emotions are controlled by the frontal lobes of the brain, in the deep parts of which there are areas responsible for primitive emotions, such as aggression and hunger.
The part of the brain responsible for actions receives signals from them and controls these emotions by triggering the stop function. Obviously, when the brain is damaged, the stop functions stop working, which causes attacks of rage, and during aggression, hormones (testosterone, adrenaline, etc.) and enzymes are released that contribute to the emergence of superpower, which is already present in the potential of the human body.
Yes, we should not forget that humans do not use the full potential inherent in us by nature. Yes, in extreme situations With powerful adrenaline rushes, people are able to run faster or lift heavy things that they would not normally be able to lift. In these cases, the body works hard, but this is the functioning of the body controlled by the brain.
Considering all of the above, based on scientific data on the topic of zombies and the zombie apocalypse, this problem can be dismissed as utter nonsense. True if physical world does not allow the possibility of the existence of zombies in reality, that is, the world of magic formulas.
In the world of magic and spells, with work on the body and objects, everything is much simpler. Here it is enough to whisper a spell, sprinkle some tricky powder on the fire, and any body changes its characteristics in the required direction. In this case, yes, not only gnarled sticks charged with megatons are possible here atomic energy, but zombie creatures are also acceptable.