Possible to turn into a zombie?

[Sir Ask Alot]

Like in resident evil, doom, 28 days later, etc. All those movies are about zombies and about mutation.

 

Is it possible to mutate into a monster? Like exposed by radiation, viral infection, etc.

 

This may be a stupid question to you, but im just curious.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

No, not really.

 

Let's suppose I was to radically change your DNA right now. For the moment, absolutely nothing would happen. Even when the cells did reproduce, you couldn't radically change--arms won't sprout out of you magically, you won't suddenly have a desire to bite people, etc. You can't make someone grow an arm or tentacles or fangs at will. You'll just have very major problems with your body's functions.

[ydoaPs]

you won't suddenly have a desire to bite people,

i'm not sure about that one.

[ecoli]

No' date=' not really.

 

Let's suppose I was to radically change your DNA right now. For the moment, absolutely nothing would happen. Even when the cells did reproduce, you couldn't radically change--arms won't sprout out of you magically, you won't suddenly have a desire to bite people, etc. You can't make someone grow an arm or tentacles or fangs at will. You'll just have very major problems with your body's functions.[/quote']

Usually, when your DNA mutates you get cancer...

 

That's why people-turned super hero's always make me laugh.

[AzurePhoenix]

Like in resident evil' date=' doom, 28 days later, etc. All those movies are about zombies and about mutation.

 

Is it possible to mutate into a monster? Like exposed by radiation, viral infection, etc.

 

This may be a stupid question to you, but im just curious.[/quote'] Pure Speculation on my part;

 

Whatever it was (certainly not radiation), I'd guess it ("it" as in every particle of the supposed virus/bacterium/nanite) would have to know specifically where in the body to target for mutation, it would then have to distinguish between all the areas it was meant to mutate and how it was supposed to mutate them, then it would have to rewrite the DNA in such a way as to alter its development without causing the inevitable cell-failure or cancarous outbreak. And even if it could succeed at that, the victim would still have to wait quite a while for the changes to grow in. It's just not reasonable. Now, maybe if it got to a very early zygote, it might be slightly more possible to grow the whole monster from the very beginning. Or maybe not.

[YT2095]

original "Zombies" like those "created" during Voodoo rituals used a substance containing tetro-dotoxin, apparently dead and then somewhile later coming back to life.

as for the rest, well this is certainly in the right fora

[mr d]

hello

 

for the first type 'resident evil' these would rate as re-animated corpses, the reason we would consider them monsters is that due to decomposition their flesh has begin to rot away and prutrify. but hey that might look good on some people.

since your dead electrical brain function would cease shortly after your demise. if a mutation caused your brain to continuing to function after death your not really dead, so you would tend not to rot and hence no horrific appearence.

 

'28 days' viral infection but person still living, possible if the virus could attack areas of the brain increasing hormones and other chemicals that can incite rage and increase strength (such as but not limited to steriods and adrenalin.) while at the same time repressing areas of the brain for rational thought, mainly frontal cortex region.

but mainly this would not produce flesh eating zombies, but would produce homicidal individuals who if they lost the function of reason on how to use weapons would tend to use hands, feet, and teeth to inflict damage. and in a fit of mania might chew on a little flesh.

(any emergency responce personel out there care to mention what it is like to handle a person high on pcp.)

 

now if a dose of directed radiation could be used to accomplish this as well you might get the mutation your looking for. chances are about nill for this, and a virus that specific would require human engineering.

 

traditional zombies are people as stated above are individuals who have been exposed, in most cases intentionally, to a neurotoxin that causes resperation and heart rate to slow to near imperceptable levels, causing people to be mistaken classified as dead. they are buried, in these areas mostly decades ago no embalming used, and later dug up by those employing the drug suffering brain damage from lack of oxygen. hence the individuals impaired movements. also this tends to be part voodoo in which the person affect is a believer, hince a willingness to believe they are now a zombie.

 

mr d

[Steph]

original "Zombies" like those "created" during Voodoo rituals used a substance containing tetro-dotoxin' date=' apparently dead and then somewhile later coming back to life.

as for the rest, well this is certainly in the right fora [/quote']

 

yeap... that's the only thing I can think of... and its a pretty neat effect.

[JemmaMartin]

I think it could.

Zombies dont occur to the already living, it is ment to happen the the already dead.

 

In such films as the comedy, Shaun of the Dead, the zombies occured, due to chemicals buried underground and GM crops.

 

WE wouldnt turn into zombies just like that! We need to be bitten!

 

So yes i believe it could happen. Just keep a cricket bat next to you at all times and you will be safe!

[pretender]

I thought The Zombies were a 60s rock band. Are they back on the road again?, oh well never mind. If se is a Zombie She's not there, I guess.

[Lars]

i'm not sure about that one.

 

I have to agree with him on that one, as you said, you would have major problems functioning and that would most likly include radicle changes in behavior. But like you said, you wouldnt sprout an arm or a leg on the spot.

[Luciola]

The only type of zombie like state a person is likely to realistically be caught in is some fast developing yet slow terminating form of encephalitis, like a mutated form of rabies.

 

This could potentially put a victim into a delirious state that could alter randomly during the course of the disease into various moments of rage or agitation. The problem with this is that the persons would not be dead, nor would they exibit any kind of modifications to physical anatomy other than the outcome of sloth, and therefore the person would not specifically fall under the state of "zombie", but it's the closest I could see possible within real medical science.

[mooeypoo]

I wonder.. people that go through lobotomy.. are they not "acting" like zombies?

 

http://www.sntp.net/lobotomy/lobotomy.htm

 

Perhaps this is where it came from?

 

~moo

[Luciola]

In ironic testimony to the results of his work, Moniz was shot and paralyzed by one of his lobotomy victims in 1939 and, in 1955, was beaten to death by another.

 

HAHAHahahah!!!!

 

Poetic justice?

 

However, I do think that the person who wrote that site is a little bit on the biased side when it comes to Psychiatry, yes, there were horific things done in the past, and heck, there are probably horific things going on now, but there are a slew of different aspects to psychiatry that have nothing to do with sticking icepicks into peoples eyesockets and scrambling their brains.

 

Psychiatry is a very important science that's helping us understand human and animal behaviour and how to deal with it in a way that esteems to be much better than all previous methods of "treatment".

 

Making docile patients and controllable people is largely the true goal of psychiatric methods. There is no attempt or intention to bring about sanity, happiness, causitiveness or repsonsiblity for the patient. This is obvious by a close study of it's history.

 

Anyone who believes that needs a psychiatrist LOL.

[Kylonicus]

A virus/parasite/bacteria like that would have(in order to have any real probability, there is always a small but improbable chance) to be genetically engineered.

 

What if someone engineered a parasite that both pumps PCP into someone, while applying tons of trophic factors so that persons body doesn't burn out?

 

You'd get a super regenerated, super strong, super insane human being, and if the parasite continued to eat the persons body(and or brain), and to spread and grow, and the person, because they lost mental faculty, and could no longer adequate feed themselves became somewhat starved, then the Zombie could be made.

 

Oh, if the Zombie bit you, you would end up being a Zombie soon enough!

 

Dun Dun Dun!!!!!