Mike Jakeman

The slippery stuff of slime: should we loathe it so much?

Our instinctive reaction is disgust, says Susanne Wedlich – but the slimy top layers of oceans and soil importantly cover most of the Earth’s surface

An aerial view of the Sea of Marmara shows mucilage, a jelly-like layer of slime — or ‘sea snot’ — caused by an excessive proliferation of phytoplankton. [Getty Images]
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  • Slime: A Natural History

    Susanne Wedlich

    Granta, pp. 336, £20

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