The Science Behind The Walking Dead
While browsing the Internet I happened upon an article that takes a brief look at the science behind The Walking Dead. Even though it isn’t too in-depth, detailed, or groundbreaking, it is a great read:
DO THEY HUNT BY SMELL?
Though popular belief suggests that zombies may make a constant, distinctive moaning sound, even if they don’t vocalize at all the smell of their rotting flesh would likely be enough to announce their presence at a great distance.
No scent is more distinctive or revolting than death. A dead rodent under the stairs or behind a wall is enough to putrefy an entire small home. Zombies occupy decaying human corpses, so imagine that stink multiplied by 100, or even 1,000!
This notion also brings up an important question related to the zombie hunting style: can they sniff out prey? Even if they are physically able to access a sense of smell, it could be argued that because of their own strong odor zombies can’t smell anything, and therefore would not use that sense when tracking humans.
However, is it possible that the undead benefit from some form of postmortem super-smell? Strangely enough, the answer may stem from a common side effect observed in users of psychedelic drugs.
Hyperosmia is a condition in humans that causes an acute increase in the ability to smell. It is often seen in patients with cluster headaches or migraines, but tests have shown that recreational use of LSD can result in the same or similar outcome.
As it is commonly accepted that zombies are driven by their brain, it stands to reason that a brain disorder affording the living a tremendous increase in their sense of smell may also be at work in the undead.
Furthermore, people suffering from Addison’s disease, a disorder wherein the adrenal glands produce insufficient steroid hormones, are also inclined to suffer from Hyperosmia. Because zombies are likely not producing needed hormones with their limited body functions, a de facto Addison’s scenario could be at work.
To read the entire article click here!
-Dane
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[...] Don’t be a fool. You think it is just a coincidence that “The Walking Dead” television series is one of the most popular shows of all time? Nope, it is science doing what science does best: predicting the future so we can prepare for it (being zo… [...]