Zombie Memes

This meme brilliantly captures the terrifying reality of prion diseases! On the left, we see a normal protein minding its own business, while a misfolded prion protein lurks nearby. Then BAM—in the right panel, the prion has converted all the normal proteins into more prions. That's literally how these molecular zombies work—one misfolded protein convinces all its protein friends to join the dark side. No DNA, no RNA, just proteins corrupting proteins like the world's smallest cult leader. Mad cow disease, fatal familial insomnia, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease all start with this exact scenario. It's basically peer pressure at the molecular level. And unlike most infections, you can't kill prions with heat, radiation, or disinfectants—they're already dead! (Well, they were never alive, but you get it.) Nature really outdid itself with this nightmare fuel.

You're basically walking around in a designer corpse suit! Your epidermis—that's fancy science talk for your skin's outer layer—is just a collection of keratinized dead cells that your body keeps pushing outward like it's evicting unwanted tenants. So technically, you're rocking a zombie exterior 24/7 while feeling dead inside after that 3 AM existential crisis. It's nature's way of saying "Hey, try this two-for-one special on mortality!" Your body: simultaneously the living AND the cemetery. Talk about efficient real estate management!