The Predator- hunter of man and xenomorph
alike, stalking the most dangerous prey in the galaxy for sport. In today’s episode of The Infographics Show,
we explore: You vs the Predator could you survive it? First it's important to know your enemy. Predators, or Yautja, are a humanoid species
with technology far more advanced than our own. Theirs is a hierarchical society based on
merit, given out by each individual's specific prowess when it comes to hunting dangerous
game. For the Yautja, the more dangerous the prey,
the greater the sport and the greater the glory. Predators are bound by a code of honor that
dictates their behavior on a hunt: they do not hunt the weak, the pregnant, or those
unable to defend themselves. To violate this code is to lose all honor
and be thrown out of their clan, forever earning the title of Bad Blood and subject to being
exterminated on sight. Though armed with advanced weaponry, predators
often prefer to use simple melee weapons on a hunt, as they see it far more honorable
to face dangerous prey this way rather than rely on technology. If overwhelmed or defeated however, it is
every Predator's duty to prevent another species from using their technology, and thus it will
activate a powerful self-destruct device carried on their person which is equivalent to a miniature
nuclear weapon. Such a death is still seen as honorable in
Predator society, but failing to prevent their technology from falling into the wrong hands
is extremely dishonorable- a Predator who lets this happen is expected to return or
destroy that technology at all costs, even if that cost is their own life. So, let's say you were the target of a Predator
on a hunt- what could you expect to go up against and how might you counter it? The first consideration is a Predator's physiology
itself. On average, a Predator stands over 7 feet
tall and weighs over 300 pounds, with the average human standing about 5' 7” and weighing
180lbs; this means very few if any humans could ever hope to match the physical strength
of a Predator. Their bodies are also extremely resilient
to physical damage- on a hunt in New York City, a predator received several gunshot
wounds from a .44 pistol and had a hand amputated, yet survived, needing nothing more than some
basic first aid. Although its wounds did force it to terminate
its hunt and try to flee the planet, so if you were to damage one enough, you might not
kill it but might force it to run away. Despite their size, Predators are also extremely
agile, and have repeatedly been shown to hunt across roofs and treetops- in fact seeming
to prefer using high trees and the like over running on the ground. If running from a Predator, climbing will
clearly be a very bad idea. A Predator's vision is also a major consideration
if you're being hunted by one. Predators evolved to see in the infrared spectrum,
and yet have a clear preference for hot, equatorial climates. This hints at Predators evolving on a tidally
locked planet where one side of the planet was always facing a scorching sun, spreading
its heat to the permanent dark side facing away from the sun. If Predators evolved on the nighttime side
of the planet, it would explain their ability to see in infrared and not normal light as
we see- our vision would be useless in permanent dark, but spotting the body heat of prey against
the cold nighttime sky would be much easier. This infrared vision is extremely useful in
the dark, but becomes a serious handicap in full daylight or when ambient temperatures
are too high and heat signatures blend into each other. To counter this, Predators developed a Bio-Mask
worn by every hunter- the mask allows Predators to fine tune their infrared vision and to
also see in different scopes of the ultraviolet spectrum. If hunted by one, you can use a Predator's
natural vision against it by trying to mask your body heat, most famously done by American
special forces Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer to defeat a Predator in the South American
jungles. Mud, as in Major Schaefer's example, is a
good insulator, but like anything else you apply directly to your body, it will quickly
warm up and start to give you away. Space blankets are effective at capturing
body heat, and might work in a pinch- but they too will quickly begin to warm up and
be ineffective. Your best bet is to try stick to an environment
that comes close to matching your body heat, such as a sun-warmed brick wall, or standing
under a vent belching out warm air. You can also try to create fires around you
so as to confuse a Predator's vision with multiple, chaotic heat sources- or in a pinch,
lighting rubber on fire will create thick smoke filled with rubber particles that very
effectively block infrared light. Generally staying put under something thick
and insulating will be your best bet, but if you must move, try to limit your movement
to the two thermal crossovers a day- just after sunset and just after sunrise. Changes in ambient temperature during these
two time periods will greatly confuse anyone using infrared vision. Sooner or later though, you're likely going
to come face to face with your hunter. Predators prefer close quarters kills, and
are equipped with a variety of weapons to use at melee, or near melee range. From hunting spears to ritual knives, power
fists and even a specialized thrown Cyber Disk- if you are in close quarters with a
Predator, your odds of survival are going to drop dramatically. However, just because a Predator chooses to
hunt you with a knife and spears doesn't mean you have to defend yourself the same way. For close quarters, you'll want to arm yourself
with something that can deliver a lot of stopping power in a very short time; take a cue from
most military and civilian emergency urban action teams and get your hands on a shotgun. The US military's preferred close-quarters
weapon, from the 1980 till today, is the Mossberg 590A1, a 9-round, 12-gauge shotgun that is
absolutely deadly at close range. With .44 rounds proving to do little but slow
a Predator, a chest full of 12 gauge buckshot will likely be enough to give a hunting Predator
pause- especially when a Mossberg's fast action allows a rate of fire of up to 1 shell a second
for a trained operator. You can also equip yourself with various types
of exotic shotgun rounds, such as Dragon's Breath rounds that shower your target with
Magnesium burning at 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2204 Celsius). The plus side is that not only will you cause
major damage to the Predator stalking you, but you'll likely confuse its vision by throwing
so much heat into the environment. But if you prove to be too dangerous a game,
beware- Predators have one final weapon at their disposal that is all but indefensible:
the infamous Plasma Caster. Mounted on one, or sometimes both shoulders,
the Plasma Caster is an independently targeting, rapid-firing weapon that works by superheating
gas and discharging it as plasma. Capable of blasting through solid steel and
concrete walls, there's little defense against a Predator's Plasma Caster other than trying
to disable the device before the Predator can use it. Physically formidable and armed with high-tech
weaponry, Predators are nearly unstoppable, and if you're ever hunted by one, your odds
of survival are realistically very small. Your best bet would be to hole up somewhere
and try to mask your body heat until the Predator moves on, but you could always try trickery
by feigning to be weak or helpless prey- although Predators do seem to have some ability to
perform visual diagnostics of human physiology. The Yautja are not unkillable, and several
humans have proven they have what it takes to kill one, or even multiple Predators, and
survive- but to do so is going to require every ounce of willpower, skill, and physical
toughness you have. So, how would you try to outsmart and outfight
a Predator? Let us know in the comments! Also be sure to check out our other video
called American Kids vs European Kids, How do they compare?! Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t
forget to like, share, and subscribe. See you next time!
