Zombie simulator

http://mattbierbaum.github.io/zombies-usa/ this one is based on a real-life disease model known as SIR (which stands for "susceptible, infected, and resistant") and done by folks out of Cornell University. And here's even more data about it that the group plans to present at the AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY March meeting http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-02/aps-zos022715.php

I ran it. Dropped one zombie off in Houston, and in 14 hours, the entire eastern half of the US was infected (with the default settings)

I am inclined to think that actual zombie infection is a bit slower. You're likely to get bit and run away (then die minutes/hours later) or get killed and eaten such that your body is non-viable as a zombie threat.

As the infection didn't even spread to Dallas(or westward really), I am inclined to think the simulator doesn't really account for cars. Sure, it's probable that sparse areas are going to slow down the spread, but I saw reasonably connected areas of the map just sit there and not get infected by their neighboring red zone.

In my experience mixing wine and vodka makes a pretty good zombie simulator.

There is certainly something weird going on in this simulation. I think it works off population density, but doesn't actually consider distance, or something.

I just ran it, with default settings, starting a zombie in NYC. Shortly, the infection had spread to cover an area from Rhode Island down through New Jersey and into Delaware.

And, when I say "shortly", I mean 0.02 hours - less than a minute and a half! While it isn't spreading faster than light, it is moving at about Mach 11....

Edit:

Clearly, if you run it twice, in Chrome, without refreshing the page, the time reporting is off. With a fresh start, similar extend of infection took a day. Which is still moving really darned fast. I am not sure those default settings are at all realistic.

started with defaults in Columbia South Carolina and it looks like there is hope for the US, 350 hours in and Florida and above the Mason/Dixon line is still human and has yet to cross the Mississippi!