We Are Living in a Zombie Movie
On mind viruses ....
On the Origin of Species
In zombie movies, some people are infected with a virus that turns them into brain-eating zombies. Other humans, not infected, must kill and avoid the zombies. If they get bit by one, they catch that virus and become zombies themselves. Otherwise, their brains are eaten and they die. Prof. Geller believes the zombie myth started in Africa and was a “clear metaphor for the horrors of slavery.” Of modern zombie lore, Prof. Geller writes
In the wake of numerous global health scares, including Ebola, AIDS, and SARS, the 1980s ushered in viral zombies. Survivors lived in dread of exposure to the Zombie contagion and had to make difficult decisions about executing loved ones who had become carriers.
What zombies represent are our fears. As fears changed, so did the nature of the zombies that we made up.
Zombies can’t speak, have no remorse a…
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