Zombies won't win

This is my major takeaway from the acclaimed novel "World War Z" by Max Brooks.

From the virological perspective, the Walking Dead virus is a dead-end life form. Why? Because if it succeeds totally, it will have exhausted its food source irretrievably. The disappearance of humanity is therefore also the disappearance of the Walking Dead virus.

For argument's sake, one can always imagine that the zombie virus may mutate and prey on non-humans. But then, if it goes on to wipe out all the other life forms, it will self-destruct all the same --- unless it is capable of invading outer-space aliens.

Epidemiologists estimate that we may see, on average, three pandemics in a century. Human beings have been living with pandemics known and unknown since time immemorial. If history is any guide, no virus will likely end all human civilizations going forward.

Yes, I sound optimistic and I am optimistic. Let pessimists prove me wrong.


Author: renqiulan
 

所有跟帖： 

• 幾乎同意，隻是一世紀之前沒火車、汽車、飛機，isolated, virus killed people locally。 -AP33912- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 19:53:00

• 不知墨西哥的瑪雅人怎麽被消滅的。 -AP33912- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 19:55:00

• Maybe their descendants are still around. Who knows? -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:21:17

• We humans are primates, after all. -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 06:48:48

• 如果一個文明被一種疾病消滅了，說明它的基因多樣性不夠。 -唐宋韻- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:52:56

• 唐宋君早安！謝謝指出。可否列舉幾項參考及例證？中英皆可。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 05:58:10

• 人類在數百萬年的進化曆程中高度雜交，大洲人群有較好的基因多樣性，甚至除非洲人之外的其他人群，其DNA中 -唐宋韻- ♂ (534 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 08:36:39

• We are still bearing ancient genes. -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 06:54:02

• 文明被消滅，不等於人種被消滅。瑪雅人的後代還在，已經融入墨西哥人。病毒，天災等迫使他們改變生活方式而已。 -咲媱- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 07:05:12

• 阿普有道理，個別文化的沒落可能部份由於病毒，然而也隻是猜想多於實據。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:14:31

• The Black Death (bacteria) is a well-known case in point. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:26:20

• This plague killed millions & then subsided. -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 06:57:13

• 蒙古大帝國也受此疫影響而變弱回亞。 -AP33912- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 07:36:00

• Closer human contacts, higher risks of viral outbreaks. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:38:36

• That's a working definition of contagion. -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 06:58:11

• 病毒的生存之道，和宿主和諧共存，線粒體就是個入侵者 -顫音- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 19:55:50

• A virus enters a target cell by binding to its receptor. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:30:30

• It may hurt. It may not. -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 06:59:27

• 我還是相信科學醫學。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:28:03

• 沒有新冠疫苗，將有更多的人去世，不可想像！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:30:27

• Virologists are always battling viral mutations. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:36:50

• True. -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 06:59:53

• Good science works because bad science doesn't. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:33:39

• 失敗為成功之母。我們夠努力的了。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:40:44

• I'll take it as a pearl of wisdom. Thanks! -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 07:00:34

• Let's not forget that "World War Z" is a science fiction. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:40:09

• 哈哈！我不會看這類小說，太冷硬，牙痛。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:42:43

• 病毒變種是很惱人，但一不小心發動的核子戰爭，不是更可懼？ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:48:10

• Ironically, MAD(mutually assured destruction)keeps us safer. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:51:23

• Life is full of contradictions, isn't it? -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 07:01:46

• I highly recommend this sci=fi novel to you, Madam Cat. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:48:48

• 要俺吃肥皂啊！那你陪我看幾部“歌仔戲”，先！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:52:35

• My wife and I watch one movie a week. We read every day. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 20:58:55

• 你那三小兒，也將跟上。書蟲一家。隻是跟你開個玩笑，歌仔戲是台灣的平劇，催眠的。。。。。。。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:02:33

• Amish 家規。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:07:00

• No way! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:31:15

• You guys have discipline. -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 07:03:26

• The first chapter of this novel is about China. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:00:17

• Yes, give it a try. -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 07:02:42

• Of course, it is. -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 07:01:00

• estimated wait time at 26 weeks of its audio version -顫音- ♂ (47 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:04:38

• 查網，發現。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 -lovecat08- ♀ (8640 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:08:35

• No, Ma'am.It came out in 2006. It's been made into a movie. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:17:41

• Yes, it is. I read it online. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:14:55

• 好吧！考量中。晚安！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:23:43

• Goodnight. Sweet dreams. There are no zombies. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/08/2023 postreply 21:28:08

• So this novel is really hot. -寒葦- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/09/2023 postreply 07:04:04