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Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse: Just Do the Math
LiveScience.com ^ | July 30, 2013 | Michael Dhar

Posted on 07/31/2013 6:52:36 PM PDT by DogByte6RER

world war z photo: world war z wwzthebattleofyonkersby.jpg

Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse: Just Do the Math

This equation could spell your doom: (bN)(S/N)Z = bSZ. That is, if you ever found yourself in the midst of a zombie pandemic.

That's because the calculation describes the rate of zombie transmission, from one walking dead individual to many, according to its creators, Robert J. Smith?, a mathematics professor at the University of Ottawa who spells his name with a "?" at the end, and his students. Smith's work has inspired other researchers to create zombie mathematical models, which will be published with Smith's work in the upcoming book, "Mathematical Modeling of Zombies" (University of Ottawa Press, 2014).

Though of course done tongue-in-cheek, Smith's study demonstrates why zombies are the viruses of the monster world. Their likeness to viruses makes the creatures ideal subjects for theoretical epidemiological analyses, which can be used to capture the public's imagination as well as explore scientific principles, Smith said.

As for a zombie apocalypse, Smith's model shows that a zombie infection would spread quickly (with N representing total population, S the number of susceptible people, Z the zombies, and bthe likelihood of transmission). It also shows that zombies would overtake the world— there's no chance for a "stable equilibrium" in which humans could coexist with the undead or eradicate the disease.

Only coordinated attacks against the zombies would save humanity, the model shows.

• Epidemiology and 'WWZ'

Models of disease outbreaks, like the one Smith developed, play a prominent role in real-life epidemiology, Smith said.

"Unlike most popular monsters, zombies are inherently biological in nature," said Mat Mogk, founder of the Zombie Research Society. "They don't fly or live forever, so you can apply real-world biological models to them."

(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Health/Medicine; Miscellaneous; Science; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: apocalypse; doomsday; epidemiology; iteotwawki; itstheendoftheworld; mathematicalmodeling; preppers; survival; undead; worldwarz; zombie; zombieapocalypse; zombies
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zombie apocalypse photo: Zombie Apocalypse OnlyYouCanPreventcut_zps7a459801.jpg
1 posted on 07/31/2013 6:52:36 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
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zombie apocalypse photo: zombie apocalypse 6a00d83455ad0369e2017c381b43ad970b-800wi_zps47198af1.jpg
2 posted on 07/31/2013 6:52:58 PM PDT by DogByte6RER ("Loose lips sink ships")
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zombie apocalypse photo:  1251369461216.jpg
3 posted on 07/31/2013 7:05:50 PM PDT by DogByte6RER ("Loose lips sink ships")
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To: DogByte6RER

Don’t worry, be happy and sing this little tune to pacify the zombies.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdRI2Y8fGcI


4 posted on 07/31/2013 7:08:38 PM PDT by RipSawyer
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To: DogByte6RER
(bN)(S/N)Z = bSZ

What am I missing?
b, S, N, and Z all cancel each other out!

5 posted on 07/31/2013 7:11:59 PM PDT by Rio
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To: DogByte6RER

>> (with N representing total population, S the number of susceptible people, Z the zombies, and bthe likelihood of transmission).

Stupid leftist forgot the put in the AR-15 factor.


6 posted on 07/31/2013 7:12:53 PM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: Rio

I suppose that it is a handy formula, even if:
b = odds of Weiner surviving to the primaries.
S = Average number of toes on domestic shorthair cats.
Z = number of Zimmerman articles released today.
N = # of pickles in the jar.


7 posted on 07/31/2013 7:17:34 PM PDT by Rio
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To: DogByte6RER

I don’t understand the zombie obsession taking place in our society. How much time and effort was put into this scientific study?

When are people going to start realizing that zombies aren’t real, and the zombie apocalypse is NOT coming?


8 posted on 07/31/2013 7:17:49 PM PDT by pcottraux
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To: pcottraux

do the math.


9 posted on 07/31/2013 7:18:45 PM PDT by Rio
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To: pcottraux
obama zombies photo: Obama Zombies 512O-bpWa4L_SL500_AA300_.jpg Oh ... but they ARE real, unfortunately.
10 posted on 07/31/2013 7:20:39 PM PDT by DogByte6RER ("Loose lips sink ships")
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To: DogByte6RER

I knooooooow.


11 posted on 07/31/2013 7:26:41 PM PDT by pcottraux
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To: DogByte6RER
Lemme see...

Got the Shaker, some ice, creme de almond, premium 150 proof rum, some triple sec, orange juice, some lemon juice and the maraschino cherries have been soaking in the ever-clear.

I'm ready for some zombies!

12 posted on 07/31/2013 7:28:31 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse
zombie cocktail photo: zombiessssssss zombie_small.jpg Riding out the apocalypse has never been so fun!
13 posted on 07/31/2013 7:32:26 PM PDT by DogByte6RER ("Loose lips sink ships")
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To: DogByte6RER
"They don't fly or live forever, so you can apply real-world biological models to them."

Stupid journalists.
14 posted on 07/31/2013 7:34:14 PM PDT by PA Engineer (Liberate America from the Occupation Media.)
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To: DogByte6RER

I figure if you build a fortress on top of a mountain in the Sonora desert, and put black basalt boulders on the sides of the mountain, no zombie could make it to the top without getting cooked.

The black basalt in Craters of the Moon National Monument, in *Idaho* can reach 150F in summer. Imagine what it would be like in southern Arizona, when it’s perhaps 125F in the shade.


15 posted on 07/31/2013 7:36:03 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy (Be Brave! Fear is just the opposite of Nar!)
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To: DogByte6RER

That looks pretty serious.


16 posted on 07/31/2013 7:40:08 PM PDT by Rio
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To: pcottraux
I don’t understand the zombie obsession taking place in our society.

End of the world movies have been common since the 50s.

Zombie movies are a phenomenon because it is a fairly good premise that can be recycled in different ways to tell different stories, and it almost always includes characters making stupid mistakes and getting themselves killed. This puts the audience in a unique position in movies, one where they like the movie just enough, but are frustrated at how stupid the characters are that it spawns a lot of discussions over beer about why they are so stupid, and why you would do things so much better.

17 posted on 07/31/2013 7:42:10 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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To: DogByte6RER
Been there. Done that.

Check out Fibonacci . . . With Zombies!.

18 posted on 07/31/2013 7:43:07 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Rome didn't fall in a day, either.)
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To: RandallFlagg

brrraaaaaiiiiinnnssss!


19 posted on 07/31/2013 7:44:25 PM PDT by dynachrome (Vertrou in God en die Mauser)
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To: DogByte6RER
zombies photo: zombies zombies.jpg
20 posted on 07/31/2013 7:44:28 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
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