In this episode, we are joined by bio-anthropologist Dr. Rebecca Gibson (@RGibsonGirl on Twitter) to discuss the origins of zombie stories and what might need to happen to make one in real life. From stories of brain-control with tetrodotoxin in Haiti to the possibility of transmissible brain cancer, there’s a lot of cool science to unpack! You can find out more info about Rebecca and her books on her Amazon author page at www.amazon.com/author/rebeccagibsonbioanthro.
You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Pandora.
Here are the sources we used for this episode:
Podcasts: StarTalk, “The Science of Zombies and the Walking Dead“; Haunted Talks, Episode 47, “The Science of Zombies“; The Folklore Podcast, Episode 7, “Glitter and Gravedust“
Websites/Articles:
- https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-zombies
- https://www.livescience.com/38753-dr-zombie-science-behind-the-undead-apocalypse.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/magazine/the-harvard-doctor-who-accidentally-unleashed-a-zombie-invasion.html
- https://stanfordmag.org/contents/zombies-on-the-brain
- https://abc7chicago.com/zombie-raccoons-distemper-cook-county-riverside-virus/5299323/
- https://www.livescience.com/47751-zombie-fungus-picky-about-ant-brains.html
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/toxoplasmosis-a-to-z
- http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/facing-facts-why-a-transmissible-facial-cancer-is-decimating-tasmanian-devil-populations/
- https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/10-reasons-zombies-are-physically-impossible.htm
- https://www.neuroscientificallychallenged.com/blog/toxoplasma-gondii-human-behavior