Could a zombie apocalypse happen?

The concept of a "zombie apocalypse" is largely popularized by fiction, but a few experts have explored related themes that touch on existential threats:

1. David Chalmers discusses existential threats in general, including scenarios of non-human intelligent beings like AI. He mentions a form of a "zombie apocalypse" as a hypothetical situation where non-conscious but super-intelligent robots take over, which he views as a significant moral disaster 1.

2. Annie Jacobsen reflects on human behavior in catastrophic conditions, noting that survival instincts often lead to brutality, theft, and murder. These realistic aspects of human nature in post-apocalyptic scenarios highlight how societal norms may collapse during extreme crises 2.

3. Paul Bloom and Dan Harris discuss how our fascination with zombie movies might be tied to an evolutionary need to rehearse responses to societal collapse. Zombie films tend to focus more on human conflict than on the zombies themselves, providing a safe way to explore potential behaviors in disasters 3.

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     1

     Consciousness and Existence

     01:26:25
     
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     2

     Human Nature Unraveled

     01:35:57
     
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     3

     The Power of Negativity

     00:19:36
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     4

     Post-Apocalyptic Musings

     00:51:16

4. Paul Saladino and Anthony Gustin express a psychological allure towards the simplicity of survival in apocalyptic scenarios but acknowledge that such events would be extremely stressful and chaotic 4.

Overall, while a literal zombie apocalypse as depicted in movies is deemed highly improbable, the discussions around societal collapse, human behavior in extreme crises, and AI-related existential threats provide insightful perspectives on potential catastrophic events.