The thing I like about science is its tentativeness—a trait
exactly opposite its public image—cold, hard facts unscathed
by emotion and judged only by objectivity; a body of knowledge unchanged
by the centuries; the highest accolade its followers bestow is to
be declared “right.” Yet the body of knowledge science
has accumulated is due almost exclusively to challenges to what was
right and true, and a willingness (and the courage) to consider ideas
that didn’t lay well with contemporary truths. That is the process
and essence of science, and that process produces a set of “facts”
that are simply the closest approximation to what we believe to be
true at the time. This open door to new ideas is also what makes science
compelling and exciting.
The work of Dr. Masaru Emoto of Japan recently opened
that door and created a few waves in my usually calm world of water.
Dr. Emoto has been photographing water crystals with some very interesting
results. Using high-speed photography, he discovered that crystals
formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific human thoughts
are directed at them. Dr. Emoto found that water from clear springs
or water exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex and colorful
snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water or water exposed to
negative thoughts produced photos of incomplete, asymmetrical crystal
patterns with dull colors. In other words, Dr. Emoto’s work
suggests that molecules of water are affected by human thoughts, words,
and feelings, and that water somehow “remembers” these
elements as it forms crystals.
Limited space here precludes the details, but Dr.
Emoto has concluded that water does have the ability to copy and memorize
information. Quoting from his book The Hidden Messages in Water
(Beyond Words Publishing Co., Hillsboro, OR, 2004), “Water circulates
around the globe, flowing through our bodies and spreading to the
rest of the world. If we were capable of reading this information
contained in the memory of water, we would read a story of epic proportions.
To understand water is to understand the cosmos, the marvels of nature,
and life itself.” That last sentence immediately reminded me
of early statements about why we believed marine and aquatic education
was so important. Perhaps it wasn’t an exaggeration.
The heavy weather in my water world came about halfway
through his book, and tested my science open door policy. There can
be little argument that water is a wonderfully unique substance: its
solid form floats in its liquid form, it dissolves most other substances,
and is extremely difficult to maintain in its pure form. The ability
of water to dissolve other substances creates a “soup of life”
that supplies the oceans with nutrients required for life, the very
place we believe life originated on Earth.
Most of us believe that the ancient forming earth
already contained water that eventually fell as rain and formed oceans
(to put it simplistically). I taught this to students. But what if…water
arrived on this planet in the form of lumps of ice from space. Satellite
images actually show small mini-comets falling into the atmosphere
at the rate of about 10 million each year. These are really balls
of water, some weighing in at a hundred tons or more. Dr. Louis Frank,
University of Iowa, first came up with this theory, and it has since
been termed “credible” by NASA and the University of Hawaii.
And what if…what if water contained a memory
of life when it came, as Dr. Emoto’s work suggests, forming
the perfect medium from which earthly life could emerge—the
oceans. Compelling isn’t it? Water, the life force itself. Water,
the very essence of existence, to be protected and revered. Water,
with a new meaning for marine and aquatic educators. Water, both fresh
and salt indeed!
The revival
of Gamming in NMEA publications marks an absence of more than sixteen
years. NMEA’s President’s Circle, made up of former presidents
and leaders, contribute to this feature. Gamming is meant to 1) inspire,
create, and pass on wisdom; 2) give recognition to unsung stars; 3)
pass on stories, ideas, and dreams: 4) give meaning to our work as
marine and aquatic educators; 5) learn from seasoned and experienced
marine and aquatic educators. Comments may be directed to President’s
Circle Coordinator Bill Hastie at:
hastieb@wvi.com
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