All Over Albany

Important predictions about the zombie apocalypse

New York City, so many brains, so little time.

Update: Here's a link to an interactive map that research group posted that models how a zombie outbreak would theoretically spread. The map clip above shows the spread from an outbreak in New York City after 96 hours -- AKA, a good time to have already left the Capital Region.
____

So, there's that: When the zombie apocalypse arrives New York City will probably fall in about a day, while upstate New York will have weeks to prepare for the undead assault. So conclude a group of Cornell researchers who have done statistical modeling of a zombie outbreak.

The group was set to present its research at an American Physical Society meeting this month. Press release blurbage:

In most films or books, "if there is a zombie outbreak, it is usually assumed to affect all areas at the same time, and some months after the outbreak you're left with small pockets of survivors," explains [Cornell grad student Alex] Alemi. "But in our attempt to model zombies somewhat realistically, it doesn't seem like this is how it would actually go down."

Cities would fall quickly, but it would take weeks for zombies to penetrate into less densely populated areas, and months to reach the northern mountain-time zone.

"Given the dynamics of the disease, once the zombies invade more sparsely populated areas, the whole outbreak slows down--there are fewer humans to bite, so you start creating zombies at a slower rate," he elaborates. "I'd love to see a fictional account where most of New York City falls in a day, but upstate New York has a month or so to prepare."

Maybe the Regional Economic Development Councils can work zombie-prevention projects into the next round funding pitches.

Also, new slogan: "Upstate New York, Fewer Humans to Bite!" See, any negative can be in turned into a positive.

(In all seriousness, the zombie stuff is just another way to talk about modeling disease outbreaks.)

[via Upstater]

Earlier on AOA: How to survive the zombie apocalypse in the Capital Region