Could Scientists Really Create a Zombie Apocalypse Virus? - Polidicks

Why would we want to make this?

[QUOTE=Superstormj;28274956]Rabies can be engineered pretty easily to produce symptoms for widespread infection. In fact, I've been looking in depth at it for about a year now. The coding of the virus is not difficult to change, from a lab perspective, it's just a matter of no one wanting to get their hands dirty. You get it, add more protein bonds (strength over other cells), add a way to gain nutrients from the environment through the host, for example, nitrogen. Without boring you guys with details, a "rage" virus is one step away from rabies, and can be done. The rage would help with infection by having the host spread the virus by bodily fluids caused by open wounds on whomever the host is attacking.[/QUOTE] Do it.

[QUOTE=Test Card F;28274972]If your brain is fried. it cannot tell your heart to beat or your lungs to breath. Also, no. [editline]25th February 2011[/editline] Shutup, It was a prison colony anyway why not try it anyway?[/QUOTE] Well the stalker ones weren't exactly brain dead, they just had everything other than their basic instinct removed

[QUOTE=Superstormj;28274956]Rabies can be engineered pretty easily to produce symptoms for widespread infection. In fact, I've been looking in depth at it for about a year now. The coding of the virus is not difficult to change, from a lab perspective, it's just a matter of no one wanting to get their hands dirty. You get it, add more protein bonds (strength over other cells), add a way to gain nutrients from the environment through the host, for example, nitrogen. Without boring you guys with details, a "rage" virus is one step away from rabies, and can be done. The rage would help with infection by having the host spread the virus by bodily fluids caused by open wounds on whomever the host is attacking.[/QUOTE] Something tells me you know nothing about virology. Firstly, virii never engage in metabolism, ergo, they do not need any form of provision gathering, or any form of strengthening, considering a virus is not a cell, hence their different names. Secondly, you do realize it's hard as fuck to engineer a virus for biological warfare, right? It's not like with E.Coli were you can insert a few plasmids and controlling enzymes, and you got the world's biological multitool. It take years, decades, to get a virus just right to be infectious enough to be unable to be quarantined, and yet prevalent enough to cause actual damage. If you really want something of the Rage virus from "28 Days Later", it won't be a virus, considering most, if not all virii are too large to pass through the blood-brain barrier.

[QUOTE=Eudoxia;28270960][img_thumb]http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcibt4l79j1qzfmr3o1_500.gif[/img_thumb][/QUOTE] From just reading the title, I thought of this comic straight away.

I doubt that it would actually be an apocalypse. I'm sure the military can keep it from spreading. AND biting to infect is bullshit.

In Theory and actually being are two completely different things.

[img]http://pastormattsblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/zombie_apocalypse-600x7581.jpg[/img]

Quick break out the home chemistry kits and get going.

I think it'd be more likely to develop a 28 days later-like rage virus. But then you wouldn't see zombies, just angry mobs going around beating others and eachother, which wouldn't be the same, but would still be scary.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;28274822]No some of my friends live there. Lets find an empty island out in the ocean somewhere and use deathrow inmates as test subjects.[/QUOTE] I also live in Australia and I know how to swim, and if they're smart like me they'll start swimming as well.

Luckily I have my dead rising 2 Zombrex edition

I think we should NOT make a zombie virus. But i doubt it could happen.

There's really only one thing to say: [IMG]http://i54.tinypic.com/ibgjfo.jpg[/IMG]

By definition, you cannot create a zombie, unless something external moving the body counts. You need a functioning locomotive system to move, and messages from a working brain in order to allow motion. Could you create a human being so instinctual it would be like a zombie? Yes, by removing certain sections of the brain, but there would be no point in doing it.

[QUOTE=ExplodingGuy;28275201]Something tells me you know nothing about virology. Firstly, virii never engage in metabolism, ergo, they do not need any form of provision gathering, or any form of strengthening, considering a virus is not a cell, hence their different names. Secondly, you do realize it's hard as fuck to engineer a virus for biological warfare, right? It's not like with E.Coli were you can insert a few plasmids and controlling enzymes, and you got the world's biological multitool. It take years, decades, to get a virus just right to be infectious enough to be unable to be quarantined, and yet prevalent enough to cause actual damage. If you really want something of the Rage virus from "28 Days Later", it won't be a virus, considering most, if not all virii are too large to pass through the blood-brain barrier.[/QUOTE] Virus' can however, create other cells, smaller ones, with their code, to pass over and create a link. I know a lot about this. I studied Virology in some college classes, plus the required class I had in HS.

What would keep hypothetical zombies from attacking each other? And why would they necessarily need to cannibalize others? You guys are forgetting that these ideas originated from Hollywood. I don't know what it is with the internet and zombies. It seems like all of you just want an excuse for your lives to turn into video games.

[QUOTE=Mr._N;28290744]Why would keep hypothetical zombies from attacking each other? And why would they necessarily need to cannibalize others? You guys are forgetting that these ideas originated from Hollywood. I don't know what it is with the internet and zombies. It seems like all of you just want an excuse for your lives to turn into video games.[/QUOTE] Perfect opportunity for the "No fun" image macro. Maybe we just enjoy discussing scenarios like this? It's pretty hard to be enthusiastic about realistic threats like terrorism or economic decline.

[QUOTE=Zet;28274814]Australia would make an excellent test group. It's surrounded by lots of water and the zombies can't go anywhere.[/QUOTE] Fuck that, New Zealand is a much better option.

[QUOTE=Atokniro;28291634]Fuck that, New Zealand is a much better option.[/QUOTE] Hong Kong.

Andaman Islands would be the best bet, if any.

Should i start making that multi-rooftop safehaven now?

[QUOTE=Zet;28274814]Australia would make an excellent test group. It's surrounded by lots of water and the zombies can't go anywhere.[/QUOTE] And they can't play games, so they will have less experience than the rest in fighting zombies and the infection would spread quickly.

[QUOTE=MasterG;28277231]Even if a zombie virus were to outbreak, it wouldn't be as dangerous as it is in the movies. How's a zombie horde going to take down a helicopter, or a tank, or an APC. Hell, even an armoured humvee is pretty much impenetrable unless the zombies have super strength, in which case they'd break off their own arms since human flesh is pretty weak. Then there's the fact that regardless of how determined the zombies are, after 3 weeks of bumping into shit and not healing, they're going to be falling apart and dying all over the place. Then there's the fact that if we're talking romero zombies, their effectiveness is vastly exaggerated in movies. It's not too difficult for a military presence to set up s defensive perimeter in an open space to deal with incoming zombie threats, and besides that something like a chemical weapon, which causes a slow death over weeks and is unthinkable and inhumane to use on humans, could easily be deployed to take out a zombie threat in a town or city without affecting the infrastructure. And that's assuming the zombie infection can spread, which it's unlikely to be able to do easily. There's enough rednecks with guns in the US alone to completely protect everyone from a zombie threat, and then there's policemen, the army, home guard... A Zombie Apocalypse is impractical on so many levels that it's just unlikely to happen. [editline]25th February 2011[/editline] Doesn't matter if the zombies can swim, pretty soon their muscles will not have enough energy to move. It's physically impossible to move if you don't have any energy, and unless your zombies can operate helicopters or boats, a remote enough island could easily be used.[/QUOTE] That is, if the army can keep cool and not blow shit out of proportion. In Max Brooks' book, the Army fucked up and lost a lot of battles, then formed a strategy and nearly wiped out the zombies on every front. The only advantage the zombies have over the survivors is: - They are very durable, at least in the sense that only a headshot is a guaranteed kill. - They turn the enemy into them. - Sheer numbers. And finally, - They never give up. They will pursue even the smallest hint of a human for hundreds of miles, never needing to stop or rest, although they may become physically unable to move like you said.

I think 28 Days Later has a probable truth to it, because as described in the second movie and the comic, it was some kind of inhibitor and Ebola, Ebola being the contagion of choice because it could be spread fairly easy amongst a large population in close proximity. Now, if Ebola and prions were mixed in reality, we could see basically the same thing, but on a slower scale because the prions don't work immediately.

[QUOTE=Lazyboy0337;28270880]Great to know that an evil genious is one google search away from world domination. Wouldn't they try to keep this a secret?[/QUOTE] Because all information no matter how retardedly heinous should be free.

[QUOTE=MasterG;28277231] And that's assuming the zombie infection can spread, which it's unlikely to be able to do easily. [b]There's enough rednecks with guns in the US alone to completely protect everyone from a zombie threat, and then there's policemen, the army, home guard...[/b][/QUOTE] While I do get your point: You just came off as the stereotypical American saying "US is the best country ever because they are the best and they are the strongest and.. and.. and... and because they don't care for the rest of the world hurr :downs:"

[QUOTE=VaSTinY;28294277]While I do get your point: You just came off as the stereotypical American saying "US is the best country ever because they are the best and they are the strongest and.. and.. and... and because they don't care for the rest of the world hurr :downs:"[/QUOTE] except remove the redneck park and that statement fits for every single nation in the world.

[QUOTE=ExplodingGuy;28275201]Something tells me you know nothing about virology. Firstly, virii never engage in metabolism, ergo, they do not need any form of provision gathering, or any form of strengthening, considering a virus is not a cell, hence their different names. Secondly, you do realize it's hard as fuck to engineer a virus for biological warfare, right? It's not like with E.Coli were you can insert a few plasmids and controlling enzymes, and you got the world's biological multitool. It take years, decades, to get a virus just right to be infectious enough to be unable to be quarantined, and yet prevalent enough to cause actual damage. If you really want something of the Rage virus from "28 Days Later", it won't be a virus, considering most, if not all virii are too large to pass through the blood-brain barrier.[/QUOTE] Something tells me you don't, either, the plural of Viruses isn't Virii.

[QUOTE=New Cidem;28293106]That is, if the army can keep cool and not blow shit out of proportion. In Max Brooks' book, the Army fucked up and lost a lot of battles, then formed a strategy and nearly wiped out the zombies on every front.[/QUOTE]Who gives a shit what's in that book? That twat talks out of his arse, which is quite impressive in terms of referring to a completely fictional scenario.