How To Survive A Zombie Apocalypse
Good news for mankind: researchers from Cornell University have figured out the best way to survive a zombie outbreak.
Key Points
Using techniques for modelling real epidemics, the research team from Cornell ran a simulation on a real, recent map of America with 300 million people.
Alex Alemi, one of the researchers, says that the “complete” mathematical simulation is similar to the modelling of a chemical reaction occurring between different elements. For the simulation, the research team posited that 300 million people could be classified into one of four states: human, infected, zombie, or dead zombie.
Hiding inside buildings won’t let you survive for long. Running around with a baseball bat in hopes of smashing zombie skulls won’t be of much use either.
According to these scientists, heading for the country, rural areas, and sparsely populated mountains in particular will give you the best chance of surviving a zombie apocalypse. The Rockies will make for an excellent hiding place, but the Cairngorms mountain range in Scotland will do, too.
Alemi says that a zombie outbreak greatly slows down when the zombies invade thinly populated areas. Since there are fewer humans to infect, fewer zombies rise to spread the disease. This is why heading for the mountains will give you the best chance of surviving the zombie apocalypse.
You may also be surprised to learn that there are official plans in case we do end up facing a zombie outbreak, no matter how unlikely that seems. The US Centers for Disease Control and the Bristol City Council in the UK provide some tips on avoiding getting eaten by zombies and getting resurrected as the undead.
1. Arm yourself with handcuffs and a stun gun.
Getting a gun is probably easier in the US than in other places. For those in the UK and other places where guns are not easily accessible, people might have to improvise and make their own weapons. These weapons will come in handy in dealing with the undead and will help you prevent getting infected yourself.
2. Buy a protective suit.
The Bristol City Council suggests getting a protective suit—something like an Ebola-style protective suit might come in handy for avoiding the zombie virus.
3. Take your family somewhere safe and isolated and hole up.
Wherever you are, you’ll want to head to the mountains or to other sparsely populated places. These isolated places will see a slower progression of the zombie virus. If you’re lucky, you may emerge to find that the zombie outbreak has run its course and left your family completely safe.
4. Stock up on essential supplies.
Before you head for the Rockies or the Caingorms mountains, make sure you’re well-stocked on water, food, and medicines. Pack your bags with non-perishable food and clean, potable water. You may also want to bring along a filtration device just in case you end up with access to water. This will ensure that you’re fully equipped to wait out the spread of the infection.
5. Wait for the authorities to find a cure.
In the event that a zombie outbreak does occur, the CDC and the health authorities in other major areas around the world would likely treat the zombie virus as any other disease outbreak. Studies and investigations would be underway, so finding a cure for the virus may not be as far-fetched as you think.
