Slime

October 17, 2022
Journalist and biologist Wedlich debuts with a slick dive into the “secret world” of slime. A “dark and dystopian mirror to our own world,” slime embodies the epitome of gross, the author writes; for centuries, humans have been repulsed by hydrogels, despite their importance to life. “There is probably no slime-free life form in existence, and maybe there never was,” Wedlich notes, offering a close-up examination of the gooey medium in all its glory, including the “pedal mucus” that snails slide on and the “slimy barriers” essential to human respiratory, immune, and digestive systems. Wedlich covers slime’s many potential applications, including as a bio-adhesive—the U.S. Navy, for example, is “trialling the use of military lab-grade hagfish slime” to stop enemy ships. Elsewhere, Wedlich offers intriguing descriptions of the mucus that carnivorous plants use to snag prey; the “jelly-like matrix” in the tissue of hadal snailfish, the world’s deepest-dwelling fish, that helps them withstand high pressure; and eukaryotic organisms called slime mold: “These ruthlessly hungry slime creatures swap experiences and pass on information simply by merging.” Wedlich’s unique angle makes for fascinating revelations infused with fun. Pop science fans will have a hard time putting this down.

December 1, 2022
In this exploration (a translation from the original in German), Wedlich, a journalist, shares a wealth of information on slime. All aspects are considered, from its history to its various roles in the natural world to how multitudes of creatures (including humans) rely on it. In preindustrial Sweden, for example, slugs were utilized to lubricate carriage wheels. In addition, Wedlich includes mentions of science fiction monsters, strange and compelling anecdotes, and pop culture references throughout, from SpongeBob SquarePants to Nobel Prize-winner William Golding's Lord of the Flies. The writing is entertaining and informative while still being accessible to the general reader. The author states that the chapters "can be read in sequence or independently."" However, the result at times is a lack of continuity between chapters and, as the author acknowledges, the repetition of some basic terms and processes in the text. Oozing with fascinating facts, this natural history will leave readers with a new appreciation for and a deeper understanding of slime.

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January 1, 2023

German science journalist Wedlich, well known for her articles in Der Spiegel and National Geographic, turns her attention to a natural phenomenon that is essential to life--slime. Readers may be familiar with the portrayals of slime in movies like Ghostbusters and The Blob, yet may not know that there are four major slime systems in the human body. Wedlich covers all this ground and more across 26 compact chapters. In an unusual move for a science book, she begins with chapters about slime's representation in the graphic and literary arts, and then explicates slime's biophysical properties and uses. Readers may be impressed by the diversity and flexibility of slime's biological applications, ranging from biofilms that serve as protective habitats for microbes to the dual-layer slime that coats the human intestine. As ambitious and fascinating as this book is, however, it suffers somewhat from flaws in execution. Notably, this edition is devoid of illustrations, a disappointment given the wealth of illustrations in the original German edition. This volume also has no citations or references, and the "Further Reading" section is a simple list, with no context provided. Finally, the prose as rendered in English is a bit stiff and uninviting. VERDICT A worthwhile effort that might appeal to science afficionados but may be less useful for school or academic audiences.--Stephen Buss

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