this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works 193 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Imagine being hunted and killed by a team of power walkers.

[–] Zwiebel@feddit.org 184 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works 157 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (8 children)

You know, this is actually the type of fear that the zombie horror genre really reverses back on us. Classic zombies are not fast. They're not smart. They can't run, climb, or plan elaborate traps. They have no sharp claws or terrifyingly large teeth. You can outrun them at a brisk walk.

But what makes them so dangerous is that they're relentless. If they get your scent, they'll follow you and keep following you. Blow their legs off and they'll crawl towards you. Remove all their limbs and they'll slither like a snake towards you. Only destroying their brain can stop them.

If you're on foot, it is virtually impossible to escape them, as they'll just keep on coming. And while you need to sleep, they don't. They can just keep right on shuffling towards you 24/7. If on foot being chased by a zombie, your best bet is probably to find a river you can swim across that will sweep them away. Oh, and of course, they are rarely alone.

Zombies are predators that turn our species's natural hunting strategy back upon us.

[–] yngmnwntr@lemmy.ml 41 points 1 week ago

Similarly the Terminator is ceaseless but does run, jump, climb etc. Our own hunting strategy, but perfected by machines. Even more tireless and persistent.

[–] wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Not really related, but it makes me sad that this isn't easily possible in Project Zomboid. It's the exact sort of feeling I want from it.

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I’m kind of surprised considering there’s a massive mod scene. Not even with a custom difficulty mode?

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[–] LongLive@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

How many drugs does it take to outrun a scent-seeking zombie?

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[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 8 points 1 week ago

I thought it was the swarm that was what is so dangerous rather than being relentless. A single zombie is usually shown as weak and pretty easy to kill.

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[–] LilB0kChoy@midwest.social 140 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

Pursuit predation/persistence hunting has to be one of the most metal characteristics about humans.

[–] saimen@feddit.org 80 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

https://ourworldindata.org/quaternary-megafauna-extinction

The timing of megafauna extinctions was not consistent across the world; instead, the timing of their demise coincided closely with the arrival of humans on each continent.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] LilB0kChoy@midwest.social 31 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

You're missing a \.

There have been many extinction events in Earth’s history. There have been five big mass extinction events and several smaller ones.

There have now been many studies focused on the question of whether humans were a key driver of the QME. Many suggest that the answer is yes. Climatic changes might have driven an initial decline in large mammal populations — small population crashes — but human pressures are likely to have thwarted their recovery. Large mammals survived previous periods of climatic change, but the arrival of humans put pressure on already-depleted populations.

[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (2 children)

\ is the escape character in markdown. Gotta do a double \ and then another \ for the underscore

 ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯ =

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] LilB0kChoy@midwest.social 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

(°▽°)/

I'm assuming this menu is specific to the Voyager app rather than to Lemmy itself:

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[–] leftzero@lemmynsfw.com 35 points 1 week ago (8 children)

Also our accuracy and reach when throwing stuff.

Especially when combined with our ability to make stuff sharp by banging it against other stuff and breaking it just the right way.

[–] Nikls94@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (6 children)

And THEN add to that that once you got hit with the spear and are running slower, a wolf just appears and starts hunting you too.

Imagine being hunted by 2 different apex predators working together

[–] WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago

Then later in history....

An hawk flies down and attacks you, joining the wolves and the humans. They've got the fucks birds in on it now! God is dead.

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[–] BlushedPotatoPlayers@sopuli.xyz 17 points 1 week ago (8 children)

What I never got about this theory is, fine, you run after the Ptadgedrwgydon for 87kms, when it gives up due to exhaustion and you kill it with a stone. What now? You're 87kms away with a carcass that weighs 500kg, how do you get back the food to the tribe?

[–] SomeKindaName@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago

The tribe can walk.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago

This is how we learned to be nomads. Kill big thing, bring camp to big thing, hang out until big thing is all eaten.

[–] paperazzi@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

This is how Komodo Dragons hunt, too.

[–] nanoswarm9k@lemmus.org 8 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Group hunting for mega-fauna. Partial field-processing of remains, beyond a dressing.

idk, moose hunters might still. Is there a moose hunter at the forum today..?

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[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That would be a terrifying way to die.

Wasn't that the premise of the Slenderman video game?

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[–] Lucky_777@lemmy.world 107 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Humans' ability to sweat is something outstanding.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 62 points 1 week ago (3 children)

That what I keep saying, but people still seem thoroughly unimpressed by my ability to sweat profusely the moment I get a little hot!

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 35 points 1 week ago

Interviewer: What would you say is your biggest strength?

Me:

[–] Donkter@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Sweating is such a powerful ability for humans when compared to the animal kingdom. I mean, not only does my sweat keep me cool, I can clear out an entire room with it if it's a little too hot!

Unless it’s a 100% humidity day with a heat index above what is typical

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[–] khannie@lemmy.world 32 points 1 week ago (5 children)

The other advantage we have while running is that we're not constantly slamming our intestines into our other vital organs and lungs because we're upright.

Humans can out-distance a horse. A fucking HORSE. Incredible animal the oul' human.

[–] FelixCress@lemmy.world 34 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Humans can out-distance a horse

Speak for yourself, I cannot out distance a hamster lately.

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oh I am most definitely not speaking for myself. Neigh. Not one bit.

I think that's mostly down to our comparatively sedentary lifestyle though. Skinny AF, fit because I've had to run down a horse once a week and mid-20's me could hopefully out-distance a horse. A small cow anyway.

[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Neigh. Not one bit.

Are you a horse?

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago
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[–] curiousaur@reddthat.com 71 points 1 week ago

I was playing tag with my kid yesterday. He's 3, almost 4. He's very fast for his age, but not as fast as me. He asked to play tag because he just learned it in school. I could dodge to the side as he was getting close and change direction. I could fake him out. I could sprint to the other side of our 1 acre meadow to creat space. But he just kept coming. Smiling and laughing the whole time. I'm starting to get winded. Hands on my knees for a second after a sprint, but only for a second as he's closed the gap already. His undeterred motivation and pace was scary. He was going to get me eventually, and he seemed to know it.

I now know how the victims of Chucky must have felt.

[–] AeonFelis@lemmy.world 53 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Persistence predation is the only way I can manage to take my cats to the vet.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Did you try just picking them up and having a towel or blanket underneath in case they want to dig their claws into something, and hand in their shoulders in case they try to escape? That's what Ive done for years and it is so much less stressful on everyone involved.

[–] AeonFelis@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (13 children)

The problem is getting a hold of them in the first place. They just bolt from one hiding place to another, and I say "hiding place" but they're not as much "hidden" as "hard to reach when you are a human-sized human". The only reason I eventually manage to catch them is that ambush predators get tired quicker than persistence predators.

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[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 44 points 1 week ago

We are the snail

[–] ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 26 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Fun fact: the guy who first proposed this "running man" hypothesis about persistence hunting in the late 1960s (Grover Krantz) was better known as a staunch advocate for the existence of Bigfoot. Personally, I can't believe that anybody could still believe in Bigfoot - it's so obviously just a Yeti in a gorilla suit.

For some weird reason, Krantz's skeleton and that of his favorite dog are on display at the Smithsonian.

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[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 23 points 1 week ago (7 children)

isnt this a diprotodon, which is the largest marsupial in australia, in the vombatiforms.

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[–] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 19 points 1 week ago (5 children)

That thing does look pretty tasty.

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