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Zombie Pigs First, Hibernating Soldiers Next

Posted by samzenpus on from the fattening-up-on-brains dept.

ColdWetDog writes "Wired is running a story on DARPA's effort to stave off battlefield casualties by turning injured soldiers into zombies by injecting them with a cocktail of one chemical or another (details to be announced). From the article, 'Dr. Fossum predicts that each soldier will carry a syringe into combat zones or remote areas, and medic teams will be equipped with several. A single injection will minimize metabolic needs, de-animating injured troops by shutting down brain and heart function. Once treatment can be carried out, they'll be "re-animated" and — hopefully — as good as new.' If it doesn't pan out we can at least get zombie bacon and spam."

6 of 193 comments (clear)

  1. Don't do it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't they watch movies? Haven't we learned anything?

  2. Damage Mechanism by Renraku · · Score: 5, Insightful

    One of the main mechanisms for brain damage after injury to the brain is due to the neurons releasing their packets of neurotransmitters upon their death. So you have a good neuron right next to a big blob of toxic neurotransmitters. Then that neuron dies, too. It's a chemical cascade of dying neurons. Slowing down metabolism slows down this damage, as oxidation plays a large part. Ever see those people that drown in icy water, only to be revived after hours without oxygen, somewhat intact? Same thing.

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    1. Re:Damage Mechanism by Zerimar · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ever see those people that drown in icy water, only to be revived after hours without oxygen, somewhat intact?

      No sir, I have never watched a person drown in icy water and then revived hours later. Is this a common thing to see?

  3. Opposite of a Zombie by Labcoat+Samurai · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The terminology seems odd here. Isn't suspended animation pretty much the opposite of being a zombie? I mean zombies are the animated dead. Suspended animation makes you the unanimated living.

  4. Re:Brain damage? by Reason58 · · Score: 5, Funny

    One of the biggies in this war is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - surviving explosions, surviving shots to the helmet - I wonder if we'll be swapping out a lot of dead soldiers for ones suffering extreme brain injury.

    A friend of mine just came back from Germany. He lost both of his legs and has TBI caused mood swings like you wouldn't believe, and pretty much looks like it will wreck his family. Staving off death is one thing (and good); making life after injury worth living is another.

    You are absolutely right. Many of the soldiers who take this shot will have suffered TBI and will require brains. Braaaaiiiiiins.

  5. Long Duration Space Flight by Usually+Unlucky+ · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Couldn't this be tweaked and used as a method of hibernation to stave off boredom and conserve supplies for long duration space flight?

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