On Apocalypses and Technology

[ZirconBlue]

So, I finally got around to reading I Am Legend, this weekend, and it got me thinking about Apocalypses and modern technology. If a larger percentage of the population (>99%) were to disappear/die/become mindless zombies, how quickly would the effects be felt?

Is there sufficient automation in some power plants that electrical service would be maintained for any length of time?
If so, would internet service be available for very long?
How about cellphones? Landline phones?
Would it matter if it all happened overnight, or if it took a couple of months for people to drop off?
What if the disappearances/deaths/zombifications were restricted to North America? Or just the USA?
What about GPS sytems? Do the satellites require manual adjustments on a regular basis, or are they basically self-sustaining?
Really, I guess I'm wondering if the people not infected/still living/non-brain-eating would have any opportunity to find one another using the internet or other technogical means before they lost access to such means? Just having a list of other survivors would be of great help in such a ludicrously hypothetical situation.

[quarky]

sounds fun.

Ham radio geeks could be the new heroes. Generators would rule; grids would fail because Smitty didn't show up. Not self-sustaining.

[NewtonTrino]

Most services would go down rather quickly and stay down. GPS would more than likely be active for quite a while though.

[technoextreme]

So, I finally got around to reading I Am Legend, this weekend, and it got me thinking about Apocalypses and modern technology. If a larger percentage of the population (>99%) were to disappear/die/become mindless zombies, how quickly would the effects be felt?

Is there sufficient automation in some power plants that electrical service would be maintained for any length of time?
If so, would internet service be available for very long?
How about cellphones? Landline phones?
Would it matter if it all happened overnight, or if it took a couple of months for people to drop off?
What if the disappearances/deaths/zombifications were restricted to North America? Or just the USA?
What about GPS sytems? Do the satellites require manual adjustments on a regular basis, or are they basically self-sustaining?
Really, I guess I'm wondering if the people not infected/still living/non-brain-eating would have any opportunity to find one another using the internet or other technogical means before they lost access to such means? Just having a list of other survivors would be of great help in such a ludicrously hypothetical situation.
There was a special on the History Channel that describes what would happen. The only source of power that would remain for any long length of time is probably Hoover Dam. That would be brought down due to humanity not being available to stop an invasive weed from clogging the cooling pipes.

[dasmiller]

What about GPS sytems? Do the satellites require manual adjustments on a regular basis, or are they basically self-sustaining?
.

The GPS constellation would continue to operate, with degraded accuracy, for several weeks.

After that, the satellites themselves would continue to operate for at least a few months and possibly many years, but the navigation signal that they broadcast would be set to "unhealthy" so normal GPS receivers wouldn't use them.

[Molinaro]

I wonder how long we could still get running water from our taps?

[ZirconBlue]

sounds fun.

Ham radio geeks could be the new heroes. Generators would rule; grids would fail because Smitty didn't show up. Not self-sustaining.

Yeah, but I would think that there'd be enough gas/diesel available to run generators for a good long time, assuming you could get it out of the gas station tanks or abandoned vehicles. In the story, I am Legend, it's not stated that the main character ever even tries Ham radio, but in the movie version he does attempt periodic radio broadcasts. In this day and age, I figure Ham radio might not even occur to many survivors to try.

There was a special on the History Channel that describes what would happen. The only source of power that would remain for any long length of time is probably Hoover Dam. That would be brought down due to humanity not being available to stop an invasive weed from clogging the cooling pipes.

Interesting. Presumably, though, the remaining population could all migrate to the Hoover Dam area and learn to keep it running so they'd have electricity.

The GPS constellation would continue to operate, with degraded accuracy, for several weeks.

After that, the satellites themselves would continue to operate for at least a few months and possibly many years, but the navigation signal that they broadcast would be set to "unhealthy" so normal GPS receivers wouldn't use them.

That quickly, huh? It's kinda scary how reliant we have become on a lot of technology. I have a hard time even remembering how I did a lot of things before the internet and email.

[ZirconBlue]

I wonder how long we could still get running water from our taps?

Especially safe running water. This kindof gets back to what I was trying to get at in the OP. Do modern utilities need a lot of workers or could they run with only a couple of people, even if only temporarily? If only one guy shows up to work at the electric/water/phone company, is there anything they can do to keep service running?

[quixotecoyote]

the Straight Dope did something similar to this on electricity generation:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2165/when-the-zombies-take-over-how-long-till-the-electricity-fails

If a zombie apocalypse hit now, they say within a week everything but isolated hydro and solar would be gone.

[tyr_13]

the Straight Dope did something similar to this on electricity generation:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2165/when-the-zombies-take-over-how-long-till-the-electricity-fails

If a zombie apocalypse hit now, they say within a week everything but isolated hydro and solar would be gone.

That's really stupid.

I live on top of a high hill, one of the highest elevations in the county, surrounded by woodlands and farms. We have a gas well that is directly connect to our heating system, the barn's heating system, the stove, and our natural gas generator. This generator has kept us with power even for the days the power has been out this year with no hiccups. Not only that, but because of how poor a job the company has done keeping up on repairing the well, myself and at least two other people in this house have learned how to repair a lot of problems on it. We have not only a small garden, but we have enough apple trees and seeds from plants to sustain us even without resupply. Our water comes from a well, one that technically doesn't need a filter. Besides, charcoal filters aren't hard to rig. We have a wood shop and run a contracting business out of the barn, as do our neighbors.

I'd think we'd do pretty damn well. My brother and his girlfriend are people who could live in the woods with a knife and an blanket. My mother and her boyfriend (basically husband without the legal part) can build just about anything. I've learned a little of all of it and we have a library of books, most on building, nature, and gardening.

I guess the main point is "gas well + gas generator = pretty good time"

[steve s]

There was a special on the History Channel that describes what would happen.

It was called Life After People (http://www.history.com/minisites/life_after_people).

Steve S.

[quixotecoyote]

That's really stupid.

I live on top of a high hill, one of the highest elevations in the county, surrounded by woodlands and farms. We have a gas well that is directly connect to our heating system, the barn's heating system, the stove, and our natural gas generator. This generator has kept us with power even for the days the power has been out this year with no hiccups. Not only that, but because of how poor a job the company has done keeping up on repairing the well, myself and at least two other people in this house have learned how to repair a lot of problems on it. We have not only a small garden, but we have enough apple trees and seeds from plants to sustain us even without resupply. Our water comes from a well, one that technically doesn't need a filter. Besides, charcoal filters aren't hard to rig. We have a wood shop and run a contracting business out of the barn, as do our neighbors.

I'd think we'd do pretty damn well. My brother and his girlfriend are people who could live in the woods with a knife and an blanket. My mother and her boyfriend (basically husband without the legal part) can build just about anything. I've learned a little of all of it and we have a library of books, most on building, nature, and gardening.

I guess the main point is "gas well + gas generator = pretty good time"

I was summarizing. I believe they actually addressed situations like yours towards the end.

[Beerina]

So, I finally got around to reading I Am Legend, this weekend, and it got me thinking about Apocalypses and modern technology. If a larger percentage of the population (>99%) were to disappear/die/become mindless zombies, how quickly would the effects be felt?

Ya know, a couple o' years ago, a quarter of the US, Detroit through New York, all lost power for several days in that massive, cascading blackout.

It wasn't a pretty sight, and I was there to see it.

As for 99% of the population being zombies, that would be a good scenario since we could keep them alive and then eat them as necessary, to provide sustenance until we could re-organize food distribution.

I just hope nobody decides to make "gouging" illegal since that would slow down recovery.

[ZirconBlue]

the Straight Dope did something similar to this on electricity generation:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2165/when-the-zombies-take-over-how-long-till-the-electricity-fails

If a zombie apocalypse hit now, they say within a week everything but isolated hydro and solar would be gone.


Excellent article. Thanks for the link. I don't know why I didn't think of checking the Straight Dope.

Even in the best case scenarios, just having power doesn't ensure having phone/cell/internet service, right? So, my idea of creating an online survivors list in the first couple of days probably isn't viable.

[ZirconBlue]

As for 99% of the population being zombies, that would be a good scenario since we could keep them alive and then eat them as necessary, to provide sustenance until we could re-organize food distribution.

I just hope nobody decides to make "gouging" illegal since that would slow down recovery.

I'm sure even Alton Brown couldn't turn Zombie meat into Good Eats. Ew.

[SphereGuy]

Life after people was actually kind of interesting. They started from day 1 with dogs and cats starving (people actually vanished for their scenerio so no corpses to feast on) and went all the way to predicting what the very last artifact of human kind would probably be. And no, the pyramids were only the second to last.

[Galaxie]

Yeah, but I would think that there'd be enough gas/diesel available to run generators for a good long time, assuming you could get it out of the gas station tanks or abandoned vehicles.

Yes, there would be plenty of gasoline and diesel, but how long would it actually be useable? Water from condensation can cause problems after just a few months.

Another thought occurs to me; if gasoline is stored in a sealed container, are there any chemical changes that will occur over time that will render it unuseable?

[Ixion]

Diesel engines would last longer, because the system utilizes water condensers to remove water from the fuel. Nevertheless, unless you are versed in engine repair, eventually things would fall apart.

[technoextreme]

Ya know, a couple o' years ago, a quarter of the US, Detroit through New York, all lost power for several days in that massive, cascading blackout.

It wasn't a pretty sight, and I was there to see it.

As for 99% of the population being zombies, that would be a good scenario since we could keep them alive and then eat them as necessary, to provide sustenance until we could re-organize food distribution.

I just hope nobody decides to make "gouging" illegal since that would slow down recovery.
You do realize you are confusing the 2003 blackout and the 1977 blackout.

[Soapy Sam]

I still think "The Day of the Triffids" is the best end-of-the-world novel I've read.
I was sceptical about the radio repairer teaching himself to fly a helicopter after a couple of hours, but they were a lot simpler back then.

[tyr_13]

Yes, there would be plenty of gasoline and diesel, but how long would it actually be useable? Water from condensation can cause problems after just a few months.

Another thought occurs to me; if gasoline is stored in a sealed container, are there any chemical changes that will occur over time that will render it unuseable?

Yes. Gasoline gells.

[ZirconBlue]

Yes. Gasoline gells.


How quickly, though? When I last bought a lawnmower the manual recommended adding a "fuel stabilizer" for fuel that was going to be sitting (in the mower or external tank) over the winter. I've never done this, and, yet, not had a problem with "old" fuel.

So, how quickly does the fuel gel or become unusable? Can additives, such as the commercially-available fuel stabilizers, slow this down? Can this process be easily reversed? Can I just google this instead of asking you?;)

[tyr_13]

You have my permission to google, which is just as good as the Pope's. :p

Gelled gas lines are a pain in the ass and can happen in as little as a few months of sitting. I know moving helps, but I don't know the specifics, only that it does happen.

[Galaxie]

At first I was going to say I'd never heard of gasoline gelling, but then I remembered the old fashioned(?) term "gasoline varnish" which is the same thing.

Anyway, from what I could find, the gelling is caused by a combination of water and temperature changes. So if one of these is eliminated, does gas still go bad?

I think more Googling is needed.