In addition to the rapture, a comet colliding with Earth or massive volcanoes simultaneously erupting, one of the most frequently discussed theories on how our world will end is a zombie virus outbreak that would quickly infect the whole population. The hype is emphasized by the Mayan calendar which prophesizes that humanity will be destroyed by the end of the fiscal year. However, there are valid arguments to combat the validity of most of the apocalypse theories. But let’s focus on the zombie apocalypse hypothesis for a moment and, more exactly, on the reasons that render its occurrence improbable.
1. The inefficiency of the virus spreading method
The method through which the “zombification” virus reproduce and is transmitted from the carrier to the victim is biting. From this point of view, the zombie virus is very similar to rabies and so far there hasn’t been a rabies apocalypse, has it? If a dog in your neighborhood is infected with rabies, it will not escalate to an epidemic of biblical proportion. And the explanation for this is pretty simple: biting represents an ineffective way to spread a virus, particularly for a slow, uncoordinated zombie that would have trouble reaching any person with average mobility. Unlike airborne viruses, the outbreak would be easily contained by eliminating the first infected victims.
2. The availability of the firearms
If you take into account the overinflated military budget as well as the number of firearm owners, you would quickly realize that a horde of zombies don’t have a prayer as long as you don’t run out of bullets. According to statistics, there are approximately 14,000,000 people who own at least one hunting rifle and have a permit for it in the U.S. alone. Give them the order to fire at will and every last zombie in the area would be pushing up daisies before the sun is down.
3. The instatement of martial law in outbreak areas
A zombie outbreak constitutes grounds for the military force to instate martial law, sealing off the area until the virus is under control. Therefore, no zombie or person suspected of being infected would be able to get in or out of the quarantine zone. In other words, the apocalypse is over before it even began, since the contact with the outside world is severed.
4. The vulnerability to temperature extremes
Dead tissue does not benefit from the ability to regulate the body functions in order to ward off the effects of temperature. In fact, if the zombie outbreak would take place in a warm climate, the humidity and heat would promote the development of the bacteria on the bodies of the zombies, causing them to bloat and eventually explode. On the other hand, in case the epidemic starts in a chilly weather climates, it would still be bad for the zombies because the cold would increase the stiffness of the gradually freezing tissue, hindering their mobility.
5. The naturally occurring/manmade barriers
Zombies are not smart, that’s a given. Their sheer strength comes from numbers, providing the epidemic somehow manages to spread successfully in spite of the overwhelming odds. However, as history has taught us so many times, the size of an army does not guarantee victory. For instance, if the survivors of the zombie apocalypse take the high ground while the streets are funneling the zombie hordes, snipers can easily pick them up and put them down one by one. Moreover, rivers, cliffs and rapids constitute perfect and deadly traps for the casually strolling zombies, especially during the night.