Gregory Robinson
A scientist went above and beyond by taking a sip of water that is billions of years old.
Although most of us would gag at the thought of drinking water that’s been left sitting out for days on end unless we were desperate, the same can’t be said for the scientists involved in an incredible study.
In 2013, scientists from the University of Toronto discovered the water over 1.5 miles beneath Earth’s surface, left isolated from the outside world for millennia in Timmins, Ontario, Canada.
Advert
Most people would probably agree that this isn't a liquid for drinking, and is between 1.5 billion and 2.6 billion years old.
But apparently professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar isn't most people.
As lead researcher, Lollar tried the water and herself and judging by her reaction, it tasted just as nasty as it sounds.
To no one's surprise, the ancient water was apparently 'terrible'.
Describing the flavour of the liquid to the LA Times, the scientist said the first thing that jumped out at her was something no one wants from a beverage: saltiness.
"Because of the reactions between the water and the rock, it is extremely salty," she said.
"It is more viscous than tap water. It has the consistency of a very light maple syrup.
"It doesn’t have color when it comes out, but as soon as it comes into contact with oxygen it turns an orangy color because the minerals in it begin to form — especially the iron."
Lollar advised other people that you would 'definitely not want' to drink it, but in spite of this she apparently tried it on more than one occasion, saying: "I have to admit I have tasted it from time to time."
But before you judge her, she had her reasons as she explained: "We are interested in the saltiest waters because they are the oldest, and tasting is the quick-and-dirty way to find which are the most salty."
Little did Lollar know, it would only be three years before scientists discovered what they believed to be even older water in the same area, thought to be at least 500 million years more ancient than the earlier finding.
It's unclear how that one tasted, but given how bad the first was, we’re guessing it's not good.