strongNo organisms are more important to life as we know it than algae. In strongemstrongSlimestrongemstrongem, emstrongstrong Ruth Kassinger gives this underappreciated group its due.strong -- strongElizabeth Kolbertstrong pstrongstrongSay algae and most people think of pond scum. What they don't know is that without algae, none of us would exist.strongstrong p There are as many algae on Earth as stars in the universe, and they have been essential to life on our planet for eons. Algae created the Earth we know today, with its oxygen-rich atmosphere, abundant oceans, and coral reefs. Crude oil is made of dead algae, and algae are the ancestors of all plants. Today, seaweed production is a multibillion-dollar industry, with algae hard at work to make your sushi, chocolate milk, beer, paint, toothpaste, shampoo, and so much more. p In emSlimeem we'll meet the algae innovators working toward a sustainable future from seaweed farmers in South Korea, to scientists using it to clean the dead