Water, Water Everywhere, Nor Any Stop to Think 3

EoR continues his review of The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto.

Chapter Two discusses The Portal into a Different World. This is presumably the world Emoto-san lives in, since it doesn't seem to bear any resemblence to reality.

After briefly addressing some of the physical peculiarities of water (particularly phase transitions between solid and liquid), the mystical note returns:

My investigations into the mysteries of water makes me think that water is something not of this earth.

Emoto-san argues that water arrived on Earth carried on comets.

If we accept that water, the source of all life, was sent from outer space, then logic leads us to the conclusion that all life, including that of human beings, is alien to this planet.

EoR groans wearily. Where did that "sent" come from? Yet again, Emoto-san suddenly slips in a hugely important point with no fanfare, and apparently surreptitiously. And logic leads us to the conclusion that all life, even if formed from extraterrestrial water is, nonetheless solidly of the earth. Come back Erich von Daniken - all is forgiven.

Water from outer space - it might seem a little too farfetched. But doesn't it also tickle your imagination?

Yes, it is farfetched. And no, it doesn't tickle EoR's imagination, unlike well thought out and well written science fiction.

Speaking of science fiction, Emoto-san then goes on at length discussing an Intelligent Design view of evolution (though he doesn't call it that, preferring to give the Grand Creator the term "something great").

The grand drama of water and life cannot be explained if we exclude the existence of something great.

This idiot purports to be a scientist (admittedly, a Doctor of Alternative Medicine)? Apparently, water has some sort of DNA, or perhaps a computer program, in it:

What information did ancient water bring with it when it left outer space and fell to earth? We can assume that it carried the program needed for the development of life.

Yes, indeed. We can assume that. It still doesn't make it possible, probable, credible, realistic or true.

Emoto-san mentions an 'experiment' conducted by a family that subscribed to his magazine. A jar of rice was subjected to daily imprecations of "Thank you" for a month, while a second jar was admonished "You fool".

After a month, the rice that was told "Thank you" started to ferment, with a mellow smell like that of malt, while the rice that was exposed to "You fool" rotted and turned black.

EoR proposes an 'experiment' of his own. He requests all skeptics for the next month to daily think of Emoto-san and his deranged religiosity, and mentally send the message "You fool" to him. At the end of the month, EoR hopes to see Emoto-san rotted and turned black.

When EoR started reading this book, he expected only the pseudoscience of magic water, but as he progresses through it the ideas become increasingly comic and bizarre. Chapter Three (Consciousness Creates All) is the best yet. It ranges through such newage ideas as that chlorine in water is A Bad Thing, to Emoto-san's belief that there are only 108 elements because

According to Buddhism, the human being is born with 108 earthly desires [...] I think it is logical to conclude that these 108 earthly desires have counterparts in the 108 elements. In fact, the first vibration-detection device that I introduced to Japan went a long way toward proving this.

Do you see the humour there? "Think"? "Logical"? "Fact"?

Of course

The more evolved creatures contain a greater array of elements. [...] We can deduce that fewer elements means a smaller capacity for emotions.

We can also deduce that Emoto-san is a talking fantasy-monger. He then describes a fellow 'researcher' (Joan Davis) who relates secondhand that

A physicist conducted experiments in which he studied how the positions of the stars affected water.

No, that would be an astrologer. The two are somewhat different, but Emoto-san appears not to be aware of this. He then rambles on at length about numerology, homeopathy, psychology (at least to the extent that 'vibrational' emotions can cancel one another out) and the evils of Medicine. He foresees a future where

People with ailments would go to their nearby philosopher, for help in understanding the mistakes they have made, and then go home determined to lead a better life.

If that doesn't cure your cancer (or your delusional ideas that you're in touch with God and that water talks to you), try some real medicine:

Among all medicines, there are none with the healing powers of love. Since I came to this realization, I have continued to tell people that immunity is love

EoR is getting all warm and fuzzy here, and feels like it's 1968 again. But it's back to real science:

What is the relationship between love and gratitude? For an answer to this question, we can use water as a model. A water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, represented by H₂O. If love and gratitude, like oxygen and hydrogen, were linked together in a ratio of 1 to 2, gratitude would be twice as large as love.

EoR is speechless, and can only conclude today's look at water by agreeing with Emoto-san:

Perhaps we are finally beginning to see that the direction we are moving in leads nowhere.

Water, Water Everywhere, Nor Any Stop to Think 1
Water, Water Everywhere, Nor Any Stop to Think 2