8 Scientific Theories That Totally Change Zombie Films

8. It's Not As Unlikely As You Think

The received wisdom is that zombieism is generally caused by some kind of virus unless stated otherwise (or spooky magic, but we'll ignore that for now), passed on by physical contact, usually of the bitey variety.

There are plenty of diseases spread by biting vectors in the real world, although these vectors are usually insects. humans would actually make pretty poor vectors, due to the fact that they're slow moving and can't fly. You're also more likely to notice if one comes through your window and lands on your face while you sleep.

We also know of a few parasites that actually have the ability to control their host. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, for example, is a type of fungus that basically takes up residence in an ant's brain and drives it around for a bit before making it commit suicide. Toxoplasma gondii is another famously mind-controlling microbe that can affect humans, but the jury is still out on that one.

Perhaps the closest real-life equivalent to a zombie-causing disease is actually the well-known rabies virus which can cause paralysis, terror and delirium in humans. In animals it can also cause hyper-aggression, so a human-animal hybrid of the disease could be a legit zombie virus.