The Zombies heat status

[itsallgoodie]

Ok, so this isn't really a big deal I just wanted to point it out so no one missed it. I'll put spoilers on but it is in reference to chapter 19 part 3.

SPOILER 

Ok so when they were running away from the safe town they were getting shot at. Victor mentions that the guardians have thermal scopes. The only reason that this is important is because it 100% confirms the fact that the zombies are not just "the dead" they are alive in some way. (they have heat in their bodies). this could come into play if they ever try to "fix" a zombie.

anyway, im not sure how important this is. Just thought I would put it out there.

[Wicked Sid]

Maybe they use the scopes to discern who is alive and who is dead but still walking?

You see a walker, you scope in and they show no heat which leads to a safe kill.

[cPT.cAPSLOCK]

One of the reasons is to prevent people from fleeing. The guardians weren't just there to guard the place from the zombies, but also from its inhabitants. To see them at night, they'd need thermal or night-vision (usually infra-red).

Still, because they were using the scopes at night for the zombie-defense I assume they're able to see Zeds with it.

[itsallgoodie]

hmm sid that is a decent point too. I think you could be right. I guess the evidence is still i inconclusive.

[Kc]

They used night vision... not thermal. Everything's brighter, hence the use of flares to mess it up.

[itsallgoodie]

Oh whoops. Thats my bad. But to be fair to myself either would be effected by flares right? Maybe you can settle this for us anyway...are the zombies cold or hot? or will you not tell us and keep us shrouded in darkness?

[cPT.cAPSLOCK]

Flares can affect both, but in a different way.
In the case of night vision, you get blinded by the extremely intense light that's even being amplified by the scope (a bit like watching straight into the sun, with a lens to focus even more light into your eye - not a good idea). I've used decent night-vision goggles when we sailed from Hook of Holland to Harwich, and even small lights were enough to render it unusable. A flare would literally blind you, regardless of its location: even if you'd look the other way with the scope, it would still be way too light to use it properly.

In the case of thermal scope, the flare would create a lot of heat and hot air around it. Therefore, it would act like a smokescreen. However, it would not blind the user of the scope in any way, and by repositioning the guardian can see you again. Depending on the position of the flare, and that of the guardians, it would work or not.

[Kc]

Oh whoops. Thats my bad. But to be fair to myself either would be effected by flares right? Maybe you can settle this for us anyway...are the zombies cold or hot? or will you not tell us and keep us shrouded in darkness?

As to the hot or cold argument, I can't comment either way for now. It might come up in the story...

[MrScott101]

Well here's something to chew on, Depending on how quick the decay of the zombies is, also in relation to the season and location in which the story is taking place if they generate heat they would decay faster. So if survivors we're to just find a way to wait it out would the zombies even still be a threat with no meat or tissue just bones to attack you with? That also raises the question of how the Zombie disease is contracted, blood based, teeth based, some other micro organism or maybe it's nanobots taking control?

[itsallgoodie]

i doubt it, but i guess it could be nanobots. from what we understand its blood and other body fluids (lol).