You’ve seen the movies, you’ve read the books, you’ve watched the TV shows. Zombies have become a hot topic in the past few years, leaving some with the itching question: Could this actually happen in the real world? Will I wake up one day with my best friend trying to eat away at my leg?

Fortunately enough, I was not the only one curious about my future fate. Many scientists and companies, such as Robert Kirk or Cracked.com, have also been interested. And through all of this research a clear answer has appeared: No, it is not feasible for a real life zombie apocalypse to occur. How Come?

First off, zombies will not be able to handle the heat of the summer and spring. As soon as the body begins to decompose, putrefaction will occur. This is when the body’s proteins begin to break down and lead to the body falling apart and organs liquifying. The bacteria used in this process loves the heat, causing dead bodies to begin to bloat because of so much heat. Warm and tropical areas will prolong this process so fast and much that eventually the zombies would essentially explode. If they are in a dry area without moisture, the zombies will begin to mummify and skin cells will dry out and fall off. Fun, right?

Secondly, biting has been shown to be a horrible way to spread a disease. While it is possible for a zombie-like virus to exist, It is not airborne, and people would not interact with those that already have been infected. Even if it did get out, the CDC would immediately put bans on travel and if needed, evacuate the area and trap all those infected in one area. These factors all make the rate of infection very slow, which can be tested through this simulation.

The rate of infection would also become nonexistent due to the amount of firearms in existence. Guns are extremely common all over the world, as well as nukes, bombs, and more. Guns are so common, in fact, that one in three people in the US own at least one firearm. This is not counting other weapons that can be used against zombies, such as knives, bats, and really anything that can bash something’s head in.

Zombies also aren’t conscious– which means they wouldn’t be smell the humans they wanted to go after. They would just be wandering blindly, since they wouldn’t be able to see or sense them. However, they wouldn’t even be able to walk since when you die, there is no blood flow to the muscles to allow them to move and no brain activity or consciousness telling the muscle to move. 

Lastly, there are way too many natural and man-made barriers that would keep zombies out. Zombies will not know not to walk over cliffs, into streams, into fences, or into the ocean. They would not be able to climb up mountains or steep hills. High ground would very easily keep all ground zombies out of the area, allowing for safe quarters for humans to eat, sleep, and kill all the zombies on the ground.

So the next time you watch the Walking Dead, remind yourself that what you’re watching, is gladly just a piece of fiction.