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| Science ponders 'zombie attack' | Science ponders 'zombie attack' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| If zombies actually existed, an attack by them would lead to the collapse of civilisation unless dealt with quickly and aggressively. | If zombies actually existed, an attack by them would lead to the collapse of civilisation unless dealt with quickly and aggressively. |
| That is the conclusion of a mathematical exercise carried out by researchers in Canada. | That is the conclusion of a mathematical exercise carried out by researchers in Canada. |
| They say only frequent counter-attacks with increasing force would eradicate the fictional creatures. | They say only frequent counter-attacks with increasing force would eradicate the fictional creatures. |
| The scientific paper is published in a book - Infectious Diseases Modelling Research Progress. | The scientific paper is published in a book - Infectious Diseases Modelling Research Progress. |
| In books, films, video games and folklore, zombies are undead creatures, able to turn the living into other zombies with a bite. | In books, films, video games and folklore, zombies are undead creatures, able to turn the living into other zombies with a bite. |
| But there is a serious side to the work. | But there is a serious side to the work. |
| In some respects, a zombie "plague" resembles a lethal rapidly-spreading infection. The researchers say the exercise could help scientists model the spread of unfamiliar diseases through human populations. | In some respects, a zombie "plague" resembles a lethal rapidly-spreading infection. The researchers say the exercise could help scientists model the spread of unfamiliar diseases through human populations. |
| My understanding of zombie biology is that if you manage to decapitate a zombie then it's dead forever Professor Neil Ferguson | My understanding of zombie biology is that if you manage to decapitate a zombie then it's dead forever Professor Neil Ferguson |
| In their study, the researchers from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University (also in Ottawa) posed a question: If there was to be a battle between zombies and the living, who would win? | In their study, the researchers from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University (also in Ottawa) posed a question: If there was to be a battle between zombies and the living, who would win? |
| Professor Robert Smith? (the question mark is part of his surname and not a typographical mistake) and colleagues wrote: "We model a zombie attack using biological assumptions based on popular zombie movies. | Professor Robert Smith? (the question mark is part of his surname and not a typographical mistake) and colleagues wrote: "We model a zombie attack using biological assumptions based on popular zombie movies. |
| "We introduce a basic model for zombie infection and illustrate the outcome with numerical solutions." | "We introduce a basic model for zombie infection and illustrate the outcome with numerical solutions." |
| On his university web page, the mathematics professor at Ottawa University says the question mark distinguishes him from Robert Smith, lead singer of rock band The Cure. | On his university web page, the mathematics professor at Ottawa University says the question mark distinguishes him from Robert Smith, lead singer of rock band The Cure. |
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme |
| To give the living a fighting chance, the researchers chose "classic" slow-moving zombies as our opponents rather than the nimble, intelligent creatures portrayed in some recent films. | To give the living a fighting chance, the researchers chose "classic" slow-moving zombies as our opponents rather than the nimble, intelligent creatures portrayed in some recent films. |
| "While we are trying to be as broad as possible in modelling zombies - especially as there are many variables - we have decided not to consider these individuals," the researchers said. | "While we are trying to be as broad as possible in modelling zombies - especially as there are many variables - we have decided not to consider these individuals," the researchers said. |
| Back for good? | Back for good? |
| Even so, their analysis revealed that a strategy of capturing or curing the zombies would only put off the inevitable. | Even so, their analysis revealed that a strategy of capturing or curing the zombies would only put off the inevitable. |
| In their scientific paper, the authors conclude that humanity's only hope is to "hit them [the undead] hard and hit them often". | In their scientific paper, the authors conclude that humanity's only hope is to "hit them [the undead] hard and hit them often". |
| They added: "It's imperative that zombies are dealt with quickly or else... we are all in a great deal of trouble." | They added: "It's imperative that zombies are dealt with quickly or else... we are all in a great deal of trouble." |
| According to the researchers, the key difference between the zombies and the spread of real infections is that "zombies can come back to life". | According to the researchers, the key difference between the zombies and the spread of real infections is that "zombies can come back to life". |
| Professor Neil Ferguson, who is one of the UK government's chief advisors on controlling the spread of swine flu, said the study did have parallels with some infectious diseases. | Professor Neil Ferguson, who is one of the UK government's chief advisors on controlling the spread of swine flu, said the study did have parallels with some infectious diseases. |
| "None of them actually cause large-scale death or disease, but certainly there are some fungal infections which are difficult to eradicate," said Professor Ferguson, from Imperial College London. | "None of them actually cause large-scale death or disease, but certainly there are some fungal infections which are difficult to eradicate," said Professor Ferguson, from Imperial College London. |
| "There are some viral infections - simple diseases like chicken pox has survived in very small communities. When you get it when you are very young, the virus stays with you and can re-occur as shingles, triggering a new chicken pox epidemic." | |
| Professor Smith? told BBC News: "When you try to model an unfamiliar disease, you try to find out what's happening, try to approximate it. You then refine it, go back and try again." | Professor Smith? told BBC News: "When you try to model an unfamiliar disease, you try to find out what's happening, try to approximate it. You then refine it, go back and try again." |
| "We refined the model again and again to say... here's how you would tackle an unfamiliar disease." | "We refined the model again and again to say... here's how you would tackle an unfamiliar disease." |
| Professor Ferguson joked: "The paper considers something that many of us have worried about - particularly in our younger days - of what would be a feasible way of tackling an outbreak of a rapidly spreading zombie infection. | Professor Ferguson joked: "The paper considers something that many of us have worried about - particularly in our younger days - of what would be a feasible way of tackling an outbreak of a rapidly spreading zombie infection. |
| "My understanding of zombie biology is that if you manage to decapitate a zombie then it's dead forever. So perhaps they are being a little over-pessimistic when they conclude that zombies might take over a city in three or four days," he said. | "My understanding of zombie biology is that if you manage to decapitate a zombie then it's dead forever. So perhaps they are being a little over-pessimistic when they conclude that zombies might take over a city in three or four days," he said. |