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Scientists Hope Zombie Pigs Will Save Lives on the Battlefield

by Caleb Johnson on December 12, 2009 at 05:20 PM

Look, we've long been prepared for the proliferation of zombies. It's a good thing, too, because our own government is ready to turn hordes of soldiers into the undead. But first, they have to figure out how to make it work with pigs.

According to ABC News, a recent medical breakthrough funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which involves putting the body in a state of "suspended animation," could save thousands of lives on the battlefield. (So maybe we jumped the gun on the whole zombie thing, but "suspended animation" sounds suspicious.). Essentially, the process would be like making a person undead -- minus the insatiable appetite for brains, of course.

By injecting hydrogen sulfide, scientists would block the body's access to oxygen, which would stop blood flow and heartbeat until proper treatment could be administered. The experiment worked with worms and rats, but pigs are the next step before testing in humans, because their cardiovascular system closely resembles ours. If future trials are successful, scientists say this process could one day be used on civilians, too. This isn't even the most bizarre pig-related story we've seen lately.

All along, we thought pigs were only good for aiding Internet crazes. Turns out, they're useful on the battlefield, too. We'll never watch 'Babe' or eat bacon the same way again. [From: ABC News]

Tags: bizarre, blood, darpa, death, health, military, pig, research, top, war, zombies

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