How would you survive a zombie apocalypse?

If a zombie apocalypse was to strike right now, as you're sat there at your desk pondering life and generally procrastinating, would you know how to save yourself and those you love? Apparently not, with a team from Cornell University in the US claiming to have figured out the top five tips for survival – and Hollywood's been doing it wrong all along. 

Metro reports that a team of scientists from Cornell have run a complete mathematical solution to the age-old problem of escaping from the undead, and discovered the best ways to stay safe. So, while shows like the Walking Dead and movies like Zombieland may advocate tactics like hiding inside buildings, behind fences or just smashing the zombie's heads in, apparently such a gung-ho approach is a sure-fire way to get yourself killed…or unkilled?

There is one thing that TV gets right though. Walking Dead's living originally set themselves up in an area away from civilisation in a bid to be as far away from potential zombies as possible, and the scientists said this is a good tactic. They advised that heading out into the wilderness, where there are fewer people anyway, would present the greatest chance of avoiding any zombies. 

"Given the dynamics of the disease, once the zombies invade more sparsely populated areas, the whole outbreak slows down—there are fewer humans to bite, so you start creating zombies at a slower rate," said Alex Alemi from Cornell as he advocated heading for the hills (literally).

So what are the other top tips for survival in the case of a zombie apocalypse?

Buy handcuffs and a handgun

Ok, so we're not allowed to have guns in the UK, but a broom handle or something heavy and hard should do for the weapons part. As for the handcuffs…we're not about to try to arrest a zombie, but the scientists seem convinced. 

Wait for the cure

We all know government's would immediately take for cover if the zombies were to descend on us, so there's a fair chance that they would also take some scientists with them, right? Here's hoping. Your best bet is to hole up somewhere and simply wait for them to cure you. After all, how long can it take…?

Stock up on supplies

We know how busy it can get at Asda when the shop closes for just two days over the festive period, so prepare for queues, but you need to get yourself to a supermarket as soon as possible. Stock up on bottled water and as much non perishable food as you can manage. While you're there, stop by the homewares aisle and get an extra can opener. The last thing you want is to be back home in the bunker when you discover you've no way to open the tinned peaches. 

Buy a protective suit

Just in case the pathogen causing the dead to spring back to life happens to be airborne, getting yourself a hazard suit is a good idea. Try not to get bitten though. The movies may not have their tactics right for escape, but getting bitten by a corpse still sounds dangerous. 

Isolate your family

The fantastic news is that if you're well prepared for a hurricane, then the scientists say you're sorted for holing up your family in a bunker and waiting it out. Perfect, after all, we've all got a plan in case a hurricane hits the UK…