WEBVTT - The Monstrefact: Blade and the Slime Mite

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of

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<v Speaker 1>My Heart Radio. Hi, my name is Robert Lamb and

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<v Speaker 1>this is the Monster Fact, a short form series from

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff to Blow Your Mind, focusing on on ethical creatures,

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<v Speaker 1>ideas and monsters. In Time Blade, the vampire slayer knows

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<v Speaker 1>his parasitic adversaries famously half of vampire, himself a dampier,

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<v Speaker 1>the legacy of vamporism flows through his veins, Yet he

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<v Speaker 1>devotes his life to the eradication of humanity, secretive undead enemies.

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<v Speaker 1>It brings to mind another organism, itsself cousin to parasitic

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<v Speaker 1>chigger mites and blood drinking ticks. The slime mighte histeostoma.

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<v Speaker 1>You can consider this tiny arachnid the termite world's day

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<v Speaker 1>walking savior, an outsider, but a protector who puts dangerous

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<v Speaker 1>interlow Bruce to the sword see The Eastern subterranean termite

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't have to contend with vampires, but it is plagued

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<v Speaker 1>by the pathogenic fungus metterhisium an asopler. As Bill Shott

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<v Speaker 1>explains in his book Dark Banquet, Blood and the Curious

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<v Speaker 1>Lives of Blood Feeding Creatures, the fungus kills and infected

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<v Speaker 1>termite with secreted toxins, and then feeds on the cadaver's nutrients.

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<v Speaker 1>A fungal growth finally erupts from the body and spreads

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<v Speaker 1>more deadly spores. Humans even use the fungus as an

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<v Speaker 1>anti termite bioweapon, but that's where the slime might enters

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<v Speaker 1>the picture. Just as Blades stakes vampires in human cities,

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<v Speaker 1>so does the slime might consume the deadly fungus in

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<v Speaker 1>termite abodes. After it has finished the slaying, the slime

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<v Speaker 1>mite spreads a cocktail of non lethal decomposer microbes that

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<v Speaker 1>compete with metterhisium and a supplier, and suppresses its growth.

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<v Speaker 1>I think the day walker who tends to salt the

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<v Speaker 1>vampiric earth with high tech uvy gadgetry would approve. Granted,

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<v Speaker 1>the fungal villains involved here don't always give up so easily.

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<v Speaker 1>To paraphrase Blade himself, some Metoi Amena Supler are always

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<v Speaker 1>trying to ice Skate uphill. Tune in for additional episodes

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<v Speaker 1>of The Monster Fact each week. As always, you can

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. Stuff to Blow Your Mind is production of

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