Zombies won't win

This is my major takeaway from the acclaimed novel "World War Z" by Max Brooks.

From the virological perspective, the Walking Dead virus is a dead-end life form. Why? Because if it succeeds totally, it will have exhausted its food source irretrievably. The disappearance of humanity is therefore also the disappearance of the Walking Dead virus.

For argument's sake, one can always imagine that the zombie virus may mutate and prey on non-humans. But then, if it goes on to wipe out all the other life forms, it will self-destruct all the same --- unless it is capable of invading outer-space aliens.

Epidemiologists estimate that we may see, on average, three pandemics in a century. Human beings have been living with pandemics known and unknown since time immemorial. If history is any guide, no virus will likely end all human civilizations going forward.

Yes, I sound optimistic and I am optimistic. Let pessimists prove me wrong.


Author: renqiulan
 

几乎同意，只是一世纪之前没火车、汽车、飞机，isolated, virus killed people locally。

不知墨西哥的玛雅人怎么被消灭的。

病毒的生存之道，和宿主和谐共存，线粒体就是个入侵者

阿普有道理，个别文化的没落可能部份由于病毒，然而也只是猜想多于实据。

Maybe their descendants are still around. Who knows?

The Black Death is a well-known case in point.

我还是相信科学医学。

没有新冠疫苗，将有更多的人去世，不可想像！

A virus enters a target cell by binding to its receptor.

Good science works because bad science doesn't.

Virologists are always battling viral mutations.

More human contacts, more chances for viral outbreaks.

Let's not forget that "World War Z" is a science fiction.

失败为成功之母。我们够努力的了。

哈哈！我不会看这类小说，太冷硬，牙痛。

病毒变种是很恼人，但一不小心发动的核子战争，不是更可懼？

I highly recommend this sci=fi novel to you, Madam Cat.

Ironically, MAD(mutually assured destruction)keeps us safer.

要俺吃肥皂啊！那你陪我看几部“歌仔戏”，先！

My wife and I watch one movie a week. We read every day.

The first chapter of this novel is about China.

你那三小儿，也将跟上。书虫一家。只是跟你开个玩笑，歌仔戏是台湾的平剧，催眠的。。。。。。。

estimated wait time at 26 weeks of its audio version

in my publica library, must be popular

Amish 家规。

查网，发现。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

World War Z is a 2013 American action horror film directed by Marc Forster, with a screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, and Damon Lindelof, from a story by Carnahan and J. Michael Straczynski, based on the title of the 2006 novel of the same name by Max Brooks. It stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator who travels the world seeking a solution for a sudden zombie apocalypse.[12] The ensemble supporting cast includes Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, and Matthew Fox.

Yes, it is. I read it online.

No, Ma'am.It came out in 2006. It's been made into a movie.

好吧！考量中。晚安！

Goodnight. Sweet dreams. There are no zombies.

No way!

如果一个文明被一种疾病消灭了，说明它的基因多样性不够。

唐宋君早安！谢谢指出。可否列举几项参考及例证？中英皆可。

We humans are primates, after all.

We are still bearing ancient genes.

This plague killed millions & then subsided.

That's a working definition of contagion.

It may hurt. It may not.

True.

I'll take it as a pearl of wisdom. Thanks!

Of course, it is.

Life is full of contradictions, isn't it?

Yes, give it a try.

You guys have discipline.

So this novel is really hot.

文明被消灭，不等于人种被消灭。玛雅人的后代还在，已经融入墨西哥人。病毒，天灾等迫使他们改变生活方式而已。

蒙古大帝国也受此疫影响而变弱回亚。

人类在数百万年的进化历程中高度杂交，大洲人群有较好的基因多样性，甚至除非洲人之外的其他人群，其DNA中

有2-3% 的neanderthal 基因，所以自古以来的历次疾病大流行尽管让人类受到重创，比如yellow fever, black death, spanish flu等, 却总有相当的个体不敏感或症状较轻。当然，如果种群很小，同时伴有其他问题（特别是食物短缺），消失是可能的，也是曾大量发生过的。至于玛雅文明出现的问题，更可能与生态和食物有关。但数万人的文明不大可能坐以待毙。他们应该是分散迁徙了，于是文明的印记模糊了。