How do zombies work? (logical turbulance possible)

[LaughingAtlas]

I imagine this discussion has been had countless times before, yet it irks me no less, so here it is; how are non-magic zombies even remotely concieveable?

When someone loses a lot of blood, they stop functioning and drop dead, yes? Furthermore, we use our bodies by having our brains send out orders through the nervous system, right? With dead bodies, I don't think a nervous system would function on dead flesh, thus, a person taken by a cannibalism-causing infection by way of being half eaten would theoretically not be able to move at all.

I don't think some germs or whatever could change the way human anatomy works. I've heard the T-virus "reanimates the body" and wires the brain with a need to feed, but how? I know it seems silly to question this, but if they're giving a "scientific" explanation (presumeably because science is more "believeable" and theoretically more frightening) by saying "it's science, it just does that," it's no different than having a necromancer in a labcoat, is it?

In Dead Rising... (not sure if it helps)

Spoiler: spoiler, in case you care about DR 1's plot...

Some kind of mutant wasps apparently lay an egg in a person, which then tunnels into their brains and takes control. I think it's done by the larvae sending out it's own little nervous system into the host like roots tunneling into soil, taking control of muscle until it becomes a queen and tries to get out. This still leaves the question of how the flesh can function with the "eaten alive" method of infection.

So, at the end of the day, zombies not controlled by dark arts don't seem to add up. Have I missed something?
NOTE: Overthinking I may be, but for the same reason the Force isn't adequately explained with midichlorians, (sp?) the walking dead aren't really explained with viruses.

 

[Radelaide]

Well, from what I hear, it's more of a virus which causes basic bodily functions to work at a base rate (you can be declared dead with a pulse, but a very slow one) and causes the unholy need to feed. Why it causes an apocalypse is beyond me, but you get that.

 

[Antiparticle]

The Zombie Survival Guide [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zombie_Survival_Guide] made a brave attempt to explain zombies scientifically, but in the end they're just not possible of course.

 

[cahtush]

well there is fungus that takes over antbrains

 

[Jonluw]

They're marionettes, guided by the mighty hand of Khorne, or Nurgle.

 

[Lazy Kitty]

Nanobots taking over the broken body and brain functions, by transmitting the right electrical signals through the nerve system.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Well in L4D and 28 Days Later Style "Zombies" aren't really zombies they are Infected. They are infected with a virus similar to rabies which makes them highly agressive and go into more primal urges. For more traditional zombies somethind would need to be able to ressurect dead tissue. This would ressurect the brain but after having been dead all momeries would of been lost and succumb to primal lizard like urges.

 

[xdgt]

Actually nervous system would work on dead flesh - kind of how chickens run after you chop off their heads or frog legs keep moving after they are separated from their bodies - it's just electricity jolts making muscles move. So a dead body can theoretically be reanimated. And even if it weren't think of it as another being moving the human body shell from the inside, you don't even need organic flesh, just enough material. And usually the "scientific" zombies aren't actually dead but more like mind controlled.

 

[junkmanuk]

I guess it's theoretically possible to destroy some of the cortexes of the brain rendering the base motor and sensory functions operable but all else destroyed? That's probably the closest you'd get to a zombie like state. Cross that with a virus which is communicable in the same manner as HIV and you have a concept. It doesn't explain the sudden desire zombies have for human flesh though. Also they couldn't suddenly develop superhuman skills or mutate, so fighting them off would be pretty straightforward.

I give you exhibit 1: http://xkcd.com/734/

 

[Mehable]

There are two kinds of zombies. Undead and Viral.

Undead are ones that rise from the grave, move slowly and generally lumber toward there target for the ultimate goal of BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINNS. They are IMPOSSIBLE you simply cannot get the required body function to move something when it's died.

However there is viral, a more acceptable and possible zombie. The way to look at them is a mutated form a rabies. They charge around hungry and try to consume anything that isn't tagged with the disease.

So zombies, Either raised by the necromanic book, or bitten by a mutated raccoon work in strange ways.

 

[Moriarty]

When someone loses a lot of blood, they stop functioning and drop dead, yes? Furthermore, we use our bodies by having our brains send out orders through the nervous system, right?

It's not that simple. Most of your movements don't need direkt control from your brain to work, we got reflexes for that. It's the same principle as the headless chicken running around without a brain, if parts of your brain may still be funtional, a zombielike behaviour might be possible (altough most people don't have the "scream for brains" reflex)

 

[octafish]

When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.

Every dead body that is not exterminated becomes one of them, it gets up and kills, the people it kills get up and kill!

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Zombies are rarely portrayed in a fashion that could explained without resorting to magic. In order to explain your average zombie you'd be forced to explain away a whole host of things:

1) Zombies have no need to actually consume food
2) Zombies have no need to maintain biological functions
3) The structural integrity of zombies dramatically exceeds that of a normal person (i.e. a would that would shatter a load bearing bone will have no impacton a zombie)

For all it's faults, 28 days later at least doesn't violate these basic rules. Anything that would kill a person will kill a zombie as they represent nothing more than especially determined assailants.

 

[khiliani]

there is such a thing as a zombie in some caribbean islands. but thats caused by a toxin (from some form of fish) that effectivly makes the victim mindless, and can be controlled for what is effectivly slave labour

 

[samstewiefisher]

dont bother there is no reason. They need a brain, but no blood or O2 to keep it self goin.

 

[Eagle Est1986]

There is a plant that releases spores which can take over ants. An affected ant attempts to make it's way back to it's colony where it dies and a new plant grows out of it, releasing more spores. The other ants of course do their best to get the infected ant as far away as possible.
There's a few species of this plant, each specialising in which insect it targets.
I always thought a human species of it would be scary close to creating zombies. So maybe a scientist genetically modifys one to work on humans with a slightly different method of infection? That's just a very rough idea but that's the route I'd go for if I was writing zombie fiction.