Could The Walking Dead ever be true? Can zombies ever exist?

I’m afraid, against my best judgement, I must start this article on a sad note. Zombies aren’t real. At least, according to expert-of-the-undead Dr Steven Schlozman (who wants you to call him “ Dr Zombie”) who says that “you don’t need to worry about zombies”. Dr Schlozman is a neuroscientist at Harvard University who was inspired to write a book dissecting the science-fiction behind zombies called The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks from the Apocalypse after watching Night of the Living Dead on one sleepless night. As a wholesome twist, George Romero would later be slated to adapt his novel into a film but, sadly, the project never made it to the box office.

Dr Schlozman explained how some of the stereotypical zombie symptoms could neurologically arise. The impaired movement is one of the most notable features, as well as the most controversial. Zombie enthusiasts continue to remain divided as to whether zombies should be slow or fast, and for Dr Schlozman nothing beats the “slow, shambling, dumb-as-a-doorknob zombies”. He predicts the lumbering movement would be due to damage to the cerebellum which helps with coordination and fine motor control.

Dr Schlozman explained how some of the stereotypical zombie symptoms could neurologically arise

Additionally, Dr Schlozman explains their ‘dumb-as-a-doorknob syndrome’ (the technical term for the disease, I can assure you) as damage to the frontal lobe which is associated with higher cognitive functions including short-term memory, language, and judgement. Finally, their insatiable hunger could be due to blocking of the ventromedial hypothalamus that regulates hunger in conjunction with other sections of the brain, and the endocrine and nervous systems just like certain adenovirus strains. Despite these explanations, no analogue for a real-world pathogen exists.

Dr Schlozman also attempts to describe at the epidemiology of a potential zombie virus which uses mathematical models to study the spread of a disease and its causes. The problem is that pathogens spread by bites like rabies don’t spread that quickly, and the devastating zombie epidemics and pandemics we often see are unlikely to develop. There’s no disease that provides a satisfying parallel to a zombie virus, as conventional wisdom tells us that the pandemics of zombie apocalypses would have to be airborne.

Dr Schlozman also attempts to describe at the epidemiology of a potential zombie virus which uses mathematical models to study the spread of a disease and its causes

Ultimately, it isn’t the virology or epidemiology of a zombie apocalypse that drives shows like The Walking Dead, it’s what they reflect about humanity. It isn’t a coincidence we’ve seen exponential interest in zombie films after the 2008 Financial Crisis. From The Walking Dead’s interest in humanity and morality, to Dawn of the Dead’s critique of consumerism, to Shaun of the Dead’s heroic odyssey to get a pint at the local pub, humanity and its greatest fears are the focal point of the greatest stories of the zombie genre.