[XLR8MooP]

Nearly everyone that knows about zombies knows the most effective method to kill it is to destroy the brain, while we can all agree this should work if we destroy it the question to ask yourself is to what degree of damage would need to be inflicted.

As medical miracles have shown even on a living human an object can be lodged through the brain without the victim dieing.
I have see many cases on medical shows about this and even a man that had a steel bar lodged deep in his brain.

Now bearing with this logic that a regular living human being can survive with such a serious head wound without destroying every part of the brain can we really kill a zombie?
Most cases of deaths from a bullet to the head are from damage to essential parts of the brain for 'living' humans as well as bleeding and other side effects.

Now let us take a look at a stereotypical zombie. They don't need their organs, they can move without any form of energy intake, they don't have flowing blood in their veins.
Now with this we can already rule out a zombie dieing from bleeding out by a head shot, we can also rule out they can be knocked out as their nervous system doesn't work nor does the majority of their brain.

So the question is will a simple head shot actually kill a zombie if it doesn't destroy a large large part of the brain or the part of the brain it uses? We should add as it is a creature that defies science so who knows what part of the actual brain it uses as well as if it has the ability to move without any form of substance or energy intake can it also regenerate? Even the brain if it isn't destroyed properly?

Now I realize this can be negated by the different types of zombies but what are your thoughts on the matter? Need a little more then a small bullet hole through a Zed's head to kill it?

[Mrknot]

Great!
Now I not only have to worry about getting a head shot, but I probably have to specifically target the medula oblongata?
I am so hosed.

Well, off to the range. Bob, do you have any of those 2X2 post it's I can borrow?

[CAVU45]

Just use a .22lr. Everybody knows it will bounce around inside the skull and make mush of the brain.

[Creeping Death]

How do we even know a headshot will kill them?

[King Rat]

Weeeelll whether head shots kill zombies depends on which fictional account of the undead you happen to be watching/reading.

However if we are subscribing to the idea that the only way to kill them then, I would say that in human cases, yes there are a few people who survive being shot in the head. However these are fairly rare. Generally being hit in the head by a built is going to kill you, it’s not just the hole the built makes but the shock waves the impact causes.

[Sammo909]

Yes, we've all heard the one in a million stories about people who had nails, bullets and other things shoved into their heads but you need to remember the reason that they are reported as news is because they're so unlikely compared to the thousands of people who die every year from severe trauma to the head. The guy who falls five stories and survives usually makes more interesting news than the guy who fell off the second ladder rung and broke his neck.

Even if you were correct and a specific part of the brain needed destruction to kill a Zed then that's a pain, but it's unlikely to lower the effectiveness of severing and blunt force I hope.

[Lian]

People surviving gunshots to the head being in the minority that being said as long as you don't miss any head shot from just about any gun should drop a zombie ninety-nine times out of a hundred. For that one that survived...idk...shot him again? This is assuming that head shots will kill them at all. If they don't then the next logical step for me would be to remove the head entirely, or at least enough of it so that it really doesn't matter. A nice 12 gauge should do this more than adequately. If they still keep coming...then it's time to either get real good with that katana you got from the mall and pray to the spirit of the samurai that you can managed to cut them into small enough pieces it doesn't matter, blow them up, or just run for the hills.

[mattifikation]

Years ago this topic was brought up, and somebody with some kind of doctor powers showed up and schooled us that apparently it's the brain *stem* that would have to be destroyed, since that is the part of the brain responsible for the basic functions that zombies can carry out.

Anyways, the question you raise brings me around to the topic of why I wouldn't trust a .22lr against a zombie. Even if it does penetrate the skull, how do we know it would do enough damage to kill the zombie? I want to splatter all of the gray matter in there instead of just poking a hole through it.

In all reality, if there really were zombies, I imagine that what would happen is the Zombifying Agent briefly shuts down the host's bodily functions and vitals while it "takes over," which would be the "dying" part. Then it would "turn everything back on" under its control, which would be the "rising from the dead" part. So I think that "real" zombies would die from all the same stuff we die from, they just wouldn't have the normal pain-reaction response that we humans have since it's the human body that feels pain, but it's the Zombifying Agent that controls the body.

[DarthJoe8]

Creeping Death, on 17 October 2010 - 03:19 PM, said:

How do we even know a headshot will kill them?

Head shots kill everything. No head, no problem. Don't bother to bring up that **** fest Return otLD...Russo is retarded.

[Bob]

This has been discussed before.
I don't think we ever achieved a consensus of opinion.
If memory serves there were two major schools of thought.
1. The Lizard Brain had to be destroyed.
2. Any penetration was sufficient.

Roger in the original Dawn of the Dead (I named a Doberman after him) proved that it does not take splattering the gray matter.
He terminated a Zombie by releaving cranial pressure with a screwdriver through an ear canal.
I believe it was the right ear.
This proves two things.
The cranium must be penetrated.
The cranium is under pressure as evidenced by the fluid welling out of the ear.

My proof starts at 5:27 at this link http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

[CAVU45]

DarthJoe8, on 17 October 2010 - 04:23 PM, said:

Head shots kill everything. No head, no problem. Don't bother to bring up that **** fest Return otLD...Russo is retarded.

Speaking of Russo and a bit off topic, rumor has it he's producing another zombie flick, Escape of the Living Dead. After RotLD and what he did to NotLD I wonder if that's a good thing.

[hotlead]

I suppose a Grafenberg shot would do the trick.........or is it the Kronlein shot.........I always get those mixed up

In any case, I'm with the brain stem/lizard brain theory, if you can put 'em in the golden triangle, you'd probably get it done.

[UNDEAD FRED]

Creeping Death, on 17 October 2010 - 03:19 PM, said:

How do we even know a headshot will kill them?

Anymore questions you would like to ask CP?

[DarthJoe8]

CAVU45, on 17 October 2010 - 06:21 PM, said:

Speaking of Russo and a bit off topic, rumor has it he's producing another zombie flick, Escape of the Living Dead. After RotLD and what he did to NotLD I wonder if that's a good thing.

I haven't heard much about the Escape otLD movie except that "they're doing it". I've read the comics and Russo sticks to the "rules", unlike the crap he did with Return otLD.

The EotLD story takes place very close to the happenings of NotLD. I wonder if it will be based off of the comic.....

UNDEAD FRED, on 17 October 2010 - 07:54 PM, said:

Anymore questions you would like to ask CP?

Yeah, but he wasn't a zombie.... that was murder. Whooley went ape sh1t!!

[Bob]

Kronlein Shot

Type it into Google and search images.
But be prepared for what you will turn up.

[Antony]

Unless a more plausible model of a zombie is created one which douse not violate conservation of energy and what's known about physiology ect speculation on what may or may not kill them is pointless. My view currently is that only a unicorn born before july third 1990 and has studied theology in Ecuador can stop the undead hordes.

While zombies are highly improbable the ones described by op are so so close to impossible that if they did exist it would mean our knowledge about the natural world pretty much mean nothing. In other words we cant make judgements on any situation based upon what we think we know about the world if what we think we know cant be true if the situation in question is true.

Some one has probably said all this before on hear. I just felt like putting my spin on it.

[rowdyrugby]

You have to penetrate the skull first of all. Everyone thinks this is so ****ing easy. Time and time again there are accounts of rounds up to .40 S&W glancing off the skull. These are reported by law enforcement officers. With Z's its bound to happen numerous times. Good luck

[CAVU45]

Well Antony, thank you for stating the obvious. I guess you missed the part where this is all fun and games discussion about the impossible?

[XLR8MooP]

Antony, on 17 October 2010 - 08:46 PM, said:

While zombies are highly improbable the ones described by op are so so close to impossible that if they did exist it would mean our knowledge about the natural world pretty much mean nothing. In other words we cant make judgements on any situation based upon what we think we know about the world if what we think we know cant be true if the situation in question is true.

Some one has probably said all this before on hear. I just felt like putting my spin on it.

Well Antony the stereotypical zombie as portrayed in most movies would be close to what I said as they almost always have wounds that would be life threatening.
Also I think the point I am trying to make is that the stereo typed zombie is not a natural entity and therefore cannot be viewed like a normal living creature. So your simple head shot might be completely ineffective, now we can all speculate on what a real zombie would be but wouldn't it be more detrimental to everyone if we just looked at them in such a simple matter? They defy science itself so we shouldn't apply normal logic to them if they existed.

[Antony]

CAVU45, on 17 October 2010 - 09:20 PM, said:

Well Antony, thank you for stating the obvious. I guess you missed the part where this is all fun and games discussion about the impossible?

No I didn't miss that at all. I don't see any problem with the fun and games. Obviously I often suspend belief and speculate on this site also. I just enjoyed pointing out why this is exclusively a bit of fun. People don't have to listen to me or even care but I don't see any harm in me pointing out a philosophical issue that intrigues me a little in the hope the some one else might have some thing interesting to say on the matter.