S2 Ep 2. Zombie Apocalypse Science: The Walking Dead

 
 

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Just in time for Halloween, we’re comparing our zombie apocalypse plans while we digest the Walking Dead - one of the most popular and longest-running zombie shows on TV!

Do you have a zombie apocalypse plan? What is in your zombie apocalypse drawer? You do have one, you just don’t know it yet… (Take a look at our blog post to find out more)

Our guests help us explore the evidence of zombie fears and folklore in our own history by looking at human burials, and exploring how viruses and pandemics can spread through a global population. (Sounds familiar these days, right?)

Come and join us as we chat about the science behind a zombie apocalypse.

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Meet our guests

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Lauren McIntyre

Dr Lauren McIntyre is an osteoarchaeologist at Oxford Archaeology. She is also an Affiliate Lecturer in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Oxford Brookes University, teaching Osteology and Palaeopathology to second and third year undergraduates. Lauren is also the Representative from the Commercial Sector on the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology (BABAO) Board of Trustees.

The perfect person to talk to us about all things zombie burial…

T: @noddinggoth | I: Instagram

 
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Joanna Verran

Joanna Verran is Emeritus Professor of Microbiology at Manchester Metropolitan University. In addition to her laboratory-based research, Jo publishes on education (she is a National Teaching Fellow) and public engagement. She has worked on education and engagement activities with several microbiology societies, and established the Education and Public Engagement strand for the Federation of European Microbiology Societies. In 2019, she received the AAAS Mani L Bhaumik award for Public Engagement with Science. ​She founded the Bad Bugs Book club in 2009.

Here is a BMJ blog post about Jo and her Bad Bugs Book club.

T: @JoVerran

The Walking Dead Blogs

Blog
A beginner's guide to surviving a zombie apocalypse.
A beginner's guide to surviving a zombie apocalypse.

Is a pandemic the best time to develop your zombie apocalypse plan? We can learn a surprising amount from the current situation. After all, no-one mentioned that the apocalypse would involve epic missions to find toilet paper or washing your hands to the tune of Happy Birthday. So let’s get started.

Read More →

Episode Photo Gallery

Both of our amazing guests this week have sent us images of themselves at work…look out for the zombie…

 
 
 

Episode References (if you fancy some extra reading)

  • CDC (2018) Zombie Preparedness. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/zombie/index.htm

  • Davies, C., Cheshire, K, Garratley, R. and Moore, J. (2016) A zombie epidemic. Journal of Physics Special Topics. 15(1) Available from: https://www108.lamp.le.ac.uk/ojs1/index.php/pst/article/view/885/817

  • Jeffers, V. (2018) Parasite Puppetmasters. The Biologist. 65(2) pp.10-13 Available from: https://www.rsb.org.uk/membership/individual-membership/158-biologist/features/1932-parasite-puppetmasters

  • Mays, S., Fryer, F., Pike, A., Cooper, M. and Marshall, P. (2017) A multidisciplinary study of burnt and mutilated assemblage of human remains from a deserted Mediaeval village in England. Journal of Archaeological Sciences: Reports. 16 pp.441-455

  • Shang, Y., Feng, P. and Wang, C. (2015) Fungi that infect insects: Altering host behaviour and beyond. PLoS Pathog. 11(8)

  • Smith, T. (2015) Zombie infections: epidemiology, treatment and prevention. BMJ. 351

  • Verran, J., Crossley, M., Carolan, K., Jacobs, N. and Amos, M. (2013) Monsters, microbiology and mathematics: the epidemiology of a zombie apocalypse. Journal of Biological Education. 48(2) pp.98-104

  • Verran, J. and Reyes, X. (2018) Emerging infectious literatures and the zombie condition. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 24 (9) pp.1774-1778