Remember, they have to sustain the initial illusion- that we're both young, strong, healthy humans- all the time.
Even the rats flee from them, and the few healthy humans face a Hobbesian battle for survival.
A small, double blind study was done in healthy humans to determine the analgesic effects.
Hobo spider bites are not known to be fatal to healthy humans.
So scientists have been unable to come up with a practical test to detect the agent in healthy but possibly infected humans or animals.
In theory, even if it survived, it would not colonize healthy humans.
They can still pass as healthy humans, however, and will walk undetected among the living.
The scientists speculate that their process could work equally well on healthy humans and should be refined into a viable medical alternative within 15 years.
Medically speaking, most doctors agree that healthy humans can go up to eight weeks without food as long as they have water.
In healthy humans (and many other animals), the process of urination is under voluntary control.